“Children Drown In Silence.” Those words are not just a slogan, but a reality and reflect the message conveyed by the members of the Drowning Prevention Coalition of El Paso, Texas.The Coalition formed in March of 2010 following an astonishing nine drowning deaths in El Paso County the year before. The Coalition wants to reduce the number of fatal drownings by building a culture of water safety which with 30 area agencies comprised of aquatics experts and swim advocates want to bring an awareness, and education about drowning prevention to not only children, but also to adults and families.

The Drowning Prevention Coalition of El Paso was formed through the efforts of Laura and Eddie Castle, parents of Christian Castle who passed away through a fatal drowning August 11, 2006. Thirty different community organizations, groups and agencies in the city have come together with the following mission statement: “To promote, develop and support training and community education efforts that prevent fatal drownings, non-fatal drownings and other water related incidents in El Paso County and the surrounding areas.”