Florida leads the nation in the number of childhood drowning deaths, and that number continues to rise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A Tampa Bay area mother has made it her mission to help prevent drownings. Amber Uhler\u2019s advocacy for water safety stems from personal experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was five years old, I was a non-fatal drowning victim,\u201d said Uhler.<\/p>\n
Years later, the survivor saved another child.<\/p>\n
\u201cI realized he was drowning, and it was so silent, and it was so fast, and it reminded me of what I’d been through, so I dove in and I saved him,\u201d said Uhler.<\/p>\n
She hopes to save more children by raising awareness.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing I helped create was a water watcher card that goes out to teachers in all 50 states,\u201d said Uhler.<\/p>\n
The card includes the five layers of prevention:<\/p>\n
Barriers: fences, alarms, motion-detection cameras
\nSupervision
\nSwim lessons
\nUse Coast Guard-approved life jacket
\nLearn CPR<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you’re the active water watcher, you have to stay off your phone, actively supervise the area,\u201d Uhler said. \u201cIf a child is missing, always check the water first and then pass the water watcher card off every 15 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Drowning prevention is Uhler\u2019s platform as a finalist in the Miss USA pageant.\u00a0The 41-year-old says she became interested in pageantry later in life.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt all started out as a New Year’s resolution,\u201d said Uhler. \u201cIn 2021, I found myself morbidly obese, pre-diabetic, a size 24 and just about 300 pounds, and I wrote down at the time the wild idea that I wanted to compete in a beauty pageant.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, she\u2019s healthier and holds several crowns and titles. The beauty queen says those competitions give her a broader stage to help save lives.<\/p>\n