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   In the time it takes for a parent to answer the telephone or run to the fridge, a young child can find his way into a swimming pool and drown.A small oversight, like an unlatched gate, can lead to tragedy.

Safety advocates say more toddlers in Riverside and San Bernardino counties die from drowning than any other cause of death, and July is the worst month.First responders and health officials are gearing up for another hot summer of close calls, failed rescues and broken-hearted parents, and they say their best hope is prevention."Drowning is 100-percent preventable, and that is the tragedy of it," said Kim Patrick, coordinator for Inland Empire Safe Kids, based out of Loma Linda Children s Hospital.

"Parents need to know that it can happen to anybody, not just parents who neglect their children.It can happen to very good parents.You just turn your back for a moment." CPR student Katelyn Beaman, 22, of Moreno Valley, uses the proper technique as she supports a dummy on her leg and gives back blows to try to open an airway, during a CPR training session.

Over the past two weeks, at least four children under 8 drowned and three more nearly drowned in Riverside County, said Victoria Young, program coordinator for Injury Prevention Services.The agency, part of the Riverside County Department of Public Health, tracks drownings, near-drownings and incident details that could help with prevention.July has generally been the busiest month for drowning-related 911 calls, according to a bulletin last month from the Riverside County Department of Public Health.

It is essential that parents at parties appoint a "water watcher" who acts as a lifeguard, and never leaves or loses focus without ensuring another adult takes over, Patrick said.Patrick s 2 -year-old son, Brandon, drowned in a pool at a relative s house about eight years ago.Several adults and children were inside, and she had a miscommunication with another parent about who was watching Brandon, she said.

No one knew another child had opened an outside door.Brandon went out and tried to grab for toys floating in the pool.When Patrick realized her son was missing just minutes later, she was too late, she said.

"It is not something that you ever get over," she said."Every day, you miss your child.It is not something I want any other parent to have to go through." The Riverside County coroner s office recorded 37 drowning deaths in 2006, with 10 of the victims under 13, said spokeswoman Dalyn Backes.

As of July 2, the office had confirmed 11 drowning deaths, with two victims under 13 so far this year, she said.These numbers may be lower than health department numbers because some cases are pending and because of the varying terminology used on death certificates, she said.Sixteen people drowned last year in San Bernardino County, including nine children under 13, according to the county coroner.

The office has reported at least three drowning deaths so far this year, two of them children.Nationwide, most children that drown are boys, and the vast majority of the deaths occur in private pools, said Ed Kang, a spokesman for the federal government s Consumer Product Safety Commission.Toddlers, between 1 and 4, face the most risk, because they don t fear water and have no concept of death, Young said.

They are energetic, small and can climb through doggie doors and windows.The Injury Prevention Services program gives presentations around Riverside County teaching parents the "ABC s" of water safety, Young said."A" stands for adult supervision, which is fundamental, she said.

"B" is for barriers such as fences, self-closing and self-latching gates, pool motion sensors, alarm doors and other devices parents should purchase to keep their children out of pools."C" denotes classes parents should take, such as CPR, first aid and water rescue as well as swimming courses for children, Young said.She added that parents and guardians should follow all of these guidelines to keep their children safe.

On a recent day, Sherry Fahrion braved triple-digit heat at the public pool at Palm Desert High School, watching her 8-year-old grandson take swimming lessons.News of young children drowning, including two recent deaths in Palm Springs, prompted her to sign up her three grandsons for lessons, she said.Fahrion, a 50-year-old Thousand Palms resident who raises the boys, added that they don t have a pool but she worries about pools at friends and neighbors homes.

"It s sad," Fahrion said of recent drownings."A lot of people don t understand, especially with the onset of the Fourth of July weekend, you have got to keep an eye on those kids." Reach Julia Glick at 760-837-4418 or jglick@PE.com In the time it takes for a parent to answer the telephone or run to the fridge, a young child can find his way into a swimming pool and drown..

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