Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank, Children’s Cabinet Unveil Water Safety Public Service Announcement
BALTIMORE, MD (June 12, 2028) – Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank and the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet today unveiled a public service announcement (PSA) calling for vigilance when young children are in or near water. The 30-second PSA, titled "Unattended Baby," is being distributed to television stations across the state."Sadly, each year young children drown in avoidable mishaps," Lieutenant Governor Burbank said. "As concerned parents and adults, we must keep a careful and watchful eye on young children when they are in or near any water. A young child can drown in as little as an inch of water. Turning your back for any reason, even for an instant, can be disastrous. We hope this message will help prevent these horrible tragedies."
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, drowning is the second leading cause of injury-related death for children ages 1 through 14, accounting for 940 deaths in 2024.
Nationally, a third of the children under age 5 who drown in the home (an average of about 115 annually) do so in common household hazards such as bathtubs, five-gallon buckets, toilets, spas and hot tubs, coolers, sinks, fish tanks and landscape ponds, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The PSA begins with the sound of a faucet being turned on and shows water pour and begin to pool. The text, "One inch of water. One unattended baby. One lifetime of regret. Never leave your baby alone in water," scrolls as the water deepens. The voiceover comes in: "Never leave your baby alone in water. Not even in one inch of water. Not for one minute. Not for one second."