Broward County Tallies Four Drownings in Five Days

Water mishaps aren't anything new for our special sweat-year-round corner of the country, but it's not every week four people die in the course of five days.The latest victim is 7-year-old Damien Tubbs, who died Sunday in an Oakland Park pool after it appears he wandered into the deep end...

By Rich Abdill

March 6, 2012

[
        {
          "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
          "component": "16971022",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "15769925",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Rectangle 2x - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782206",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782207",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Water mishaps aren't anything new for our special sweat-year-round corner of the country, but it's not every week four people die in the course of five days.

The latest victim is 7-year-old Damien Tubbs, who died Sunday in an Oakland Park pool after it appears he wandered into the deep end and sank, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office. Tubbs' father performed CPR before emergency personnel took the boy to Holy Cross Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The first death in the recent string was 40-year-old Mario Perez, who fell in a canal in...

... North Lauderdale last Wednesday. A friend nearby couldn't save him because the friend didn't know how to swim, according to police.

A Pompano Beach Jet Skier also discovered a body yesterday that turned out to be 37-year-old Cleudson DaSilva, who disappeared while swimming with a friend last Thursday. The other victim is 45-year-old Monica Rapport, who police said was found floating in her Pompano Beach pool by a neighbor Saturday.

If you're interested in teaching your child how to swim, the YMCA of Broward County is offering free evening lessons from March 12 to 16 in Pembroke Pines, Weston, Hollywood, and Lauderdale Lakes. Check out its website for more.

New Times on Facebook | Twitter

The Pulp on Facebook | Twitter

Rich Abdill on Facebook | Twitter | Email

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of South Florida, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.