June 11, 2017

Press Advisory – For Monday, June 12, 2017

Contacts: Steve Barrow and Cathy Barankin, CA Coalition for Children’s Safety and Health (CCCSH) and Drowning Prevention Foundation, display sponsors at scbarrow88@gmail.com or cell 530 902-5551 and cbarankin@aol.com or cell 916 417-0911 – phone, text or email

Drowning Prevention Display at State Capitol Highlights Heart Wrenching Stories of Child Drownings

What: On Monday, June 12, 2017 the Drowning Prevention Foundation will unveil a display at the state Capitol showcasing water safety information, and six panels describing real life examples of children who drowned in residential pools.

Purpose: The Drowning Prevention Capitol building display was created and sponsored by the Drowning Prevention Foundation and CCCSH, to inform the public on the importance of water safety by providing real stories describing how young California children drowned in residential pools.

Who: Nadina Riggsbee, President and Founder of the Drowning Prevention Foundation and mother of two of the children with stories in the display, Samira (age 2) and JJ (age 14 months); Steve Barrow and Cathy Barankin, of CA Coalition of Children’s Safety and Health, and Co-Chairs California Unintentional Injury Prevention Strategic Plan Project

When: The display will be unveiled on Monday, June 12, morning and available to view after 10:30am, June 12 through Friday, June 16. Drowning Prevention Foundation, CCCSH representatives, and one of the parents who lost two children to drowning will be on site at the Capitol building Drowning Prevention Display Monday, June 12, 10:30am to 12 noon.

Where: State Capitol, Sacramento, 1st floor, east of the Governor’s Office entrance

More information: Memorialized in five of the seven display panels are the pool drowning incident stories for Cody Kerr (2 years old), Jasper St. Clair (21 months), Brandon Patrick (2 ½ years old), Samira Riggsbee (2 years old), JJ Riggsbee (14 months old), and Nicholas (Nicky) Norman (5 years old). Another panel highlights “near-drowning” victim JJ Riggsbee, life, and a photo from his 40th birthday party at his care center, with his caregivers, and Mother, Nadina Riggsbee, who will attend the Capitol unveiling.

Contact information for the parents(s) of each of the children memorialized in the display and spokespersons for the photo/story boards will be provided at the Capitol display site from 10:30am until 12 noon, Monday, June 12 or by contacting Steve Barrow or Cathy Barankin by email, text or phone at scbarrow88@gmail.com or cell 530 902-5551 and cbarankin@aol.com or cell 916 417-0911.

For more information about the Drowning Prevention Foundation and the CA Unintentional Injury Prevention Strategic Plan Project contact Steve Barrow at scbarrow88@gmail.com or Cathy Barankin at cbarankin@aol.com, or in Southern California, Marcia Kerr at mkerr44@gmail.com.

State Capitol Drowning Prevention Display is hosted through Senator Newman — contact Monica.Schmalenberger@sen.ca.gov or Lisa.Murphy@sen.ca.gov or (916) 651-4029.