LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – The drowning deaths of two young sisters in Osceola County last week are prompting renewed calls for stronger water safety awareness and wider access to swim lessons across Central Florida.
The 5-year-old twins were visiting from out of state with their family when they drowned in the pool of a rental home. The tragedy has intensified concerns about how to prevent childhood drownings and how to better connect families with lifesaving water safety resources.
State records show Florida reported 119 child drownings in 2025. Nearly 80% of those cases involved children younger than 3, underscoring the particular risk facing toddlers and very young children around water.
For Amber Upshaw, the issue is deeply personal. She lost her 18-month-old son, Sam, in a drowning accident after he reached a pool unnoticed.
“It was an accident. No one was watching, and he made his way to the pool,” Upshaw said.
In the years since, Upshaw has worked to transform that grief into advocacy. Through Sam’s Mission, a nonprofit she founded, she promotes water safety education and helps families obtain free swim lessons.
Upshaw said the goal is to connect families with certified swim instructors and remove financial barriers that can prevent children from learning essential water skills.
“We are kind of like a hub, and we will send them to certified teachers to get those swim lessons,” Upshaw said.
While Florida offers some swim lesson assistance programs and vouchers, Upshaw said some families miss deadlines or do not qualify. Sam’s Mission aims to fill that gap by providing access with fewer restrictions.
“The only one is if we give you access to these, we require you to show to all 12 lessons,” Upshaw said.
So far, the organization has helped about 100 families receive swim lessons.
Water safety officials continue to emphasize layers of protection, including constant supervision, life jackets and barriers around pools. But Upshaw said education and access to lessons are critical tools in preventing future tragedies.
“Every kid should have access to swim lessons, and I believe we can, as a community, prevent these tragedies,” Upshaw said.
For families needing help through Sam’s Mission or those looking to support the organization, information is available through the group’s Facebook page.
