Vacation Rentals: At Your Own Risk

The stories are in chronological order with the exception of the top story -which is our most recent piece about a Florida lawmaker who introduced some safety legislation after watching our series.

A Scripps News investigation focuses on drownings involving children in backyard pools at short-term rental homes. The investigative team gathered records from dozens of fatal and non-fatal incidents in several states to explore what can be done to prevent such tragedies, and what families need to know before they head off on vacation.

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A TikTok celeb's son drowned; it wasn't 'unimaginable'

Tuesday, May 20, 2025 A TikTok celeb's son drowned; it wasn't 'unimaginable' We interrupt our national fistfight over, well, everything to report that a little boy named Trigg has died. The May 18 passing of 3-year-old Trigg Kiser made national news because his mother, Emilie, is what's known as an influencer on Tik Tok. His death, we are told, is "unimaginable." But it's really not. We in Arizona aren't shocked. At least, we shouldn't be. We can't afford to be. Drowning is the leading cause of death nationally in children who are 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 years old. Even more so in Arizona, where pools are plentiful and disaster mere seconds away. Mere seconds, especially now, as summer approaches. Thirty-one children drowned in Arizona in 2023, according to the latest report from the state Child Fatality Review Program. Most were under 5 years old. Every one of those deaths was preventable. Every one, a damn tragedy. It shouldn't need saying...

Devoted Messenger: Michele Long of the City of Mesa Fire and Medical Dept. Honored for Outreach

Home > Awards > Devoted Messenger: Michele Long of the City of Mesa Fire and Medical Dept. Honored for Outreach AWARDS February 06, 2019 0 2019 Power Issue Devoted Messenger: Michele Long of the City of Mesa Fire and Medical Dept. Honored for Outreach The outreach administrator works on a local, state and national level to spread the water-safety message. By Rebecca Robledo When Michele Long decides to tackle a problem, she comes at it from all angles. That’s why, for the past 12 years, she has participated in drowning-prevention efforts at the local, state and national level. Long serves as the community outreach administrator with the Mesa (Ariz.) Fire and Medical Department. In her 19½ years in various positions with the department, she has provided peer support to the city’s first responders and educated the community about safety and health issues. So she had to sp...

Data Doctor: Tim Flood Honored with Aquatics International's Power Award

AWARDS February 21, 2019 0 2019 Power Issue Data Doctor: Tim Flood Honored with Aquatics International's Power Award His research was the catalyst for the formation of the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona and has spurred other organizations to initiate safety programs in an effort see those published numbers go down. By Nate Traylor Dr. Tim Flood has been tracking Arizona’s drowning rates since 1990, compiling reports that detail how many deaths occurred and where they happened. His annual reports are the barometer by which water-safety experts gauge their progress. His research was the catalyst for the formation of the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona and has spurred other organizations to initiate safety programs in an effort see those published numbers go down. There was a time when drownings were assumed to be relatively rare in Arizona. After all, it is a landlocked, desert state. ...

Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona

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