One Brooklyn
July 7, 2014
BROOKLYN, NY, July 7, 2014: Today, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams urged Brooklynites to exercise proper water safety habits at a press conference in Grand Army Plaza. He was joined by the family of two-year-old Ruhshona Kurbonova, who wandered into nearby Prospect Park Lake and drowned two days ago, as well as representatives from the Swim Strong Foundation, a non-profit organization that works with children and adults to combat drowning through affordable swim lessons.
“We must turn pain into purpose, committing ourselves in the wake of Ruhshona’s tragic passing to ensuring all Brooklynites know how to be safe around water,” said Borough President Adams. “Water is a part of life of daily life here in Brooklyn, with the borough surrounded by rivers and bays; it is an economic driver, an educational tool and a recreational outlet for so many. Knowledge is power, and we are looking to empower Brooklynites with the information they need to have a safe, healthy relationship with the water.”
Today’s press conference also follows the drowning deaths in recent weeks of a 29-year-old man in Coney Island, a 21-year-old man in Williamsburg and two 13-year-old boys in the Bronx River. It underscored larger national statistics discussed by Borough President Adams, including that, on average, ten people die due to drowning in the United States every day. Additionally, drowning is the leading cause of death for children five years and younger.
Borough President Adams shared a number of water safety tips with the public, including always swimming near a lifeguard, never swimming alone, supervising children closely even when lifeguards are present, refraining from alcohol and other substances while swimming as well as not swimming after dark. He also urged those wanting to enjoy the water to do so at Brooklyn’s public beaches and pools.
PHOTOS
Brooklyn Borough Eric L. Adams joins members of two-year-old Ruhshona Kurbonova’s family and Shawn Slevin (right), co-founder of the Swim Strong Foundation, at his press conference in Grand Army Plaza urging Brooklynites to exercise proper water safety habits; Kurbonova wandered into nearby Prospect Park Lake and drowned two days ago.
Photo Credit: Stefan Ringel/Brooklyn BP’s Office
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