HOUSTON – After two toddlers drowned in the Houston area, many parents are asking the same questions: How does something like this happen so quickly? What safeguards make the biggest difference? And what can families do to prevent a tragedy in their own backyard?
The deaths prompted renewed attention on pool safety and water survival skills, along with a wave of criticism and confusion on social media, where commenters debated supervision, locks, pool covers and fencing.
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To help break down what prevention can look like in real life, KPRC 2 spoke with Kathleen McMordie, a nurse who owns a local swim instruction and residential pool barrier company called Texas Swim Academy.
Kathleen stressed that there is no single solution that guarantees safety. Instead, she said families should rely on what she called “layers of protection.” This approach involves multiple safeguards used together to reduce the chance a child reaches water unnoticed and to improve a child’s ability to survive if they do.
“LAYERS OF PROTECTION” START WITH SUPERVISION:
Kathleen said active adult supervision remains the most important layer.
“If you’re at the pool, don’t be on your phone,” she said, urging caregivers to keep their eyes on children anytime they are near water.
She also warned that drownings can happen during ordinary moments at home.
“In the time that it takes to move the laundry from the washer to the dryer, a child can drown,” she said, describing how quietly and quickly a small child can slip outside.
SURVIVAL SWIM LESSONS FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS:
Kathleen said another layer is age-appropriate swim instruction that teaches self-rescue skills, not just comfort in the water.
At Texas Swim Academy, she described lessons designed to help a child independently respond if they fall into a pool. The core skills include learning to roll onto their back and float with their face out of the water. As children grow and develop, the goals can expand to include swimming to a wall, reaching the edge, moving toward steps and attempting to get out.
The program can begin as early as six months old, but it’s emphasized that infants should be taught by instructors trained specifically in infant and survival swimming methods.
Kathleen also differentiated survival swim from “mommy-and-me” water acclimation classes, which may teach a child that water is fun but may not provide self-rescue skills.
POOL BARRIERS THAT BUY TIME:
Even with supervision and lessons, Kathleen said barriers are critical because they can slow a child down long enough for an adult to intervene.
She recommended a properly installed pool fence with a self-closing, self-latching gate between a child and the water. Unlike some cover systems that must be removed to use the pool, she said a fence can stay in place during regular pool activity and secure itself automatically when someone exits.
“The most determined child will do whatever the most determined child is going to do,” she said, adding that a barrier can make it more difficult for a child — especially a curious preschooler — to reach the pool unnoticed.
ADDITIONAL STEPS: ALARMS, CAMERAS, LOCKS, DOGGY DOORS
Kathleen encouraged families to consider additional layers that can alert adults or restrict access to the backyard and pool area. Among the measures she mentioned:
- Door alarms on backyard exits
- Pool and surface alarm systems
- Extra locks or deadbolts on doors
- Security cameras with motion alerts
- Making sure doggy doors are closed and locked when children are home
The goal, she said, is to make it harder for a child to reach the water quickly and to give adults immediate warning if a door opens.
A REMINDER ABOUT BLAME:
As the discussion around the drownings played out online, Kathleen urged people to be careful about rushing to judgment.
After more than two decades in the swim-safety industry, she said she has met families who lost a child to drowning.
“They were good people,” she said. “They were not doing neglectful things. They were just living life, and accidents happen.”
WHAT FAMILIES CAN DO NOW:
Kathleen’s message was that prevention works best when families stack protections: supervise closely, restrict access with fencing and locks, add alarms and alerts, and teach children survival skills as early as developmentally appropriate.
Drownings, she said, can happen quickly and silently, making preparation and multiple safeguards essential.