Child Drowning Deaths Trigger Health Warning In Santa Clara County

SANTA CLARA (CBS SF) -- Summer has just begun but drowning has already claimed the lives of two children in Santa Clara County, health officials announced Thursday.

Last Saturday was a particularly tragic day, county health officials said, as three children were brought into the emergency department at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center after being pulled from the water.

Unfortunately, one of the children has died. A second remains hospitalized and a third was treated and released. The Santa Clara County medical examiner's office identified the child who died as 2-year-old Audrey Sorrentino of Morgan Hill.

From May 10 to June 9, another five children were brought to the hospital for drowning incidents. Of those, health officials said, one of the children died and the others were cared for and released.

The Santa Clara County medical examiner's office identified the child who died at the hospital on May 17 as Dominic Corpuz of Milpitas.

The eight children have ranged in age from 18 months to 11 years old, with five of them being under the age of four.

Health officials said as weather warms up and more children are in and around water, it was important that adults do all that they can to reduce fatal and nonfatal drownings.

Nationwide, from Memorial Day through Labor Day last year, at least 163 children younger than age 15 fatally drowned in swimming pools or spas. Of the 163 reports, 112 of the victims - nearly 70 percent - were children younger than age five.

Health officials said children ages 1 to 4 have the highest drowning rates and most often they drowned in home swimming pools. More than 50 percent of drowning victims treated in emergency departments need hospitalization or transfer for further care.

These nonfatal drowning injuries can cause severe brain damage that may result in long-term disabilities such as memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic functioning.