Expert offers water safety tips as more families head to the lakes, pools amid drowning incidents

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- In roughly 48 hours from Saturday afternoon to Monday morning, local emergency crews responded to two separate water incidents.

Saturday, the Wake County Sheriff's Office and other agencies responded to a drowning call at the Neuse River and recovered the body of 39-year-old Adrian Basilio. According to official reports, witnesses said Basilio was seen in the water, went under, and never resurfaced. Crews found Basilio's body after searching for nearly two hours.

Les than 48 hours later, Durham Police officers responded to a drowning call in the 1400 block of Chapel Hill Road to reports of a 4-year-old child who had to be removed from the pool by bystanders after nearly drowning. That child was taken by Durham EMS to a nearby hospital as a precaution. Although no injuries were reported.

The close call and tragic death has prompted swimming experts to comment on water safety as this week is set to experience warm weather as the meteorological start to summer is near.

"The first line of defense is always having an adult to be supervising and watching eyes on. The second is having a child, knowing how to survive an accidental waterfall," said Katie Blalock, director of PhD Swim School in Durham. "Parents that are like, 'My child doesn't need swim lessons'. And we ask them, "Do you put your child into a seatbelt?" It's the same line, safe line of defense. It's never your fault. It's not what you expect. But that's an emergency situation."

According to the Children's Safety Network, nearly 3,600 people die from drowning in the United States every year -- 945 of them are children.

"Drowning is considered the silent killer. And it happens faster than you think," added Blalock. "It's not like the movies where they're out in the water splashing around saying help, help, help and then they're going under. Drowning is literally one gulp and you're under and you don't come back up. And that's what people don't understand."

Blalock suggested looking into free or reduced swimming programs to increase one's level of comfort in the water to prevent drownings.

"It's one of the quickest deaths and silent deaths that you're not even aware of," she said.