Julian Buth was swimming underwater in a community pool in Pembroke Pines when he saw a young girl, who, he said, “looked weird.”The girl grabbed on to him as he swam by and he lifted her above water and guided her over to adults at the shallow end of the pool.
Later that day, while Julian was still swimming, one of his good buddies, who is an average swimmer, got tired while trying to follow him to the deep end of the pool. His buddy suddenly yelled, “Julian, help me.”
Julian, being closer than any adult, helped his friend keep his head above water and pushed him to the side of the pool.
Julian is only 8 years old but he had the benefit of water safety skills to help save the girl and his friend.
For being a hero twice in one day, the Broward County Drowning Prevention Task Force honored Julian for his bravery and for demonstrating to other kids and adults that water safety skills save lives.
The Task Force also acknowledged Julian’s parents for making water safety training an essential skill for their household and for their commitment to making sure Julian’s water safety skills are updated regularly.
The Task Force’s mission is to promote prevention and education to reduce the number of drowning fatalities. The group’s recent campaigns include "Prescription for Water Safety," in which participating pediatricians are encouraged to incorporate water safety messages into regular office visits and hand out a recently published pamphlet, "Water Smart Babies."
A mid-summer campaign with a “Keep Your Guard Up!” message encourages parents and all adults to remain engaged and actively focused on all children in and around water.
Statistics from Broward County Swim Central, which is a member organization of the Task Force, showed that 28 children aged 5 and under drowned in Broward County between 2005 and 2008.
Most of them drowned in residential pools while unattended.
For every child who drowns, four others are hospitalized for near drowning and three suffer brain damage.
Other member organizations of the Force are the Broward County Health Department, Children’s Services Council of Broward County, Florida Department of Children and Families, ChildNet,
and Broward Sheriff’s Office Child Protective Investigations Section.
Also, Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue, Children’s Medical Services, Safe Kids of Broward County, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, Kids In Motion, Baby Otter Swim School, American Red Cross, YMCA of Broward County, Memorial Healthcare System.
Also, North Broward Hospital District, Nova Southeastern University, U.S. Swim Academy, British Swim School, Quality Swimming, The Swim Academy, and the cities of Miramar, Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Lauderhill, Coral Springs and Pompano Beach.
Photo Above: Julian Buth
This story was provided by the Broward County Drowning Prevention Task Force. For more information on the task force,call contact Kim Burgess, 954 467-4700, ext. 5807, or log on to www.browardCHD.org.
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