This 6-year-old died in a pool drowning. What his family did next

With a heat wave set to impact at least 230 million people leading up to the Fourth of July holiday, families across the United States have their sights set on pools, lakes and beaches to cool off.

Those swimming-filled days can provide a reprieve from the heat and precious memories for families. But water also carries the potential for danger, and parents who have lost a child to drowning are begging families to use caution.

"Make sure it doesn't happen to you, because it can," social media influencer Emilie Kiser said on the June 17 Jay Shetty Podcast. Her 3-year-old son, Trigg, died after he fell into the family's backyard pool and drowned in May 2025. She went offline for awhile and only recently opened up about the tragedy. "Fight like hell to make sure that it doesn't happen again. Make sure that you have your kids in swim lessons. Make sure that you have a pool fence. Make sure that you have a sensor in your pool. Make sure that you have door alarms. Make sure that you have automatic closers on your sliding doors. Make sure the handles are high up enough. Do everything you can so that it doesn't happen again."

There are around 300,000 drowning deaths worldwide every year, according to the World Health Organization, and nearly a quarter of those deaths are among children younger than 5. In the United States, more children ages 1 to 4 die of drowning than any other cause, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. July typically sees more drowning deaths than any other month.

Zachary Archer Cohn was one of those children. He drowned in a backyard pool on a hot July day at his home in Connecticut. It was 2007, and he was 6 years old.

Zachary was a strong swimmer, said Karen Cohn, his mother. But they didn't realize the drain cover in their backyard pool had come loose, and while he was swimming, Zachary's arm was pulled into the drain and he got stuck underwater. His father, Brian Cohn, jumped into the pool to try to pull him out, but the suction from the drain was too strong. Once Karen Cohn shut off the home's power, she said, they were able to release his arm. But it was too late.

"How could this happen?" Karen Cohn said she remembers saying to friends and family at the time. "We didn't even know what a drain entrapment was. We didn't know that that could occur in a pool."

Turning tragedy into activism

In their grief, Karen and Brian Cohn started to research drowning. They found it was more common than they'd realized, and they felt like no one was talking about it. "We felt like we needed to do something," Brian Cohn said.

"We didn't want another family to have to endure the loss of a child," Karen Cohn added.

The family pursued legal action after finding that their pool was not built according to code, and put the settlement money toward founding a water safety nonprofit, The Zac Foundation.

"It's truly cathartic, seeing the work that we're doing and the progress we have made," Karen Cohn said.

Now in its 18th year, The Zac Foundation has provided free water safety camps to more than 25,000 kids in at-risk communities. The Cohns have also been heavily involved in the creation of the U.S. National Water Safety Action Plan and have helped develop regional and local drowning prevention plans across the country.

The Cohns feel grateful they could keep their son's legacy alive through these efforts. It feels "unfathomable" that Zachary died nearly two decades ago, Karen Cohn said. It took years for the family to heal, and the Cohns said they are still finding strength in each other and in the work they do through The Zac Foundation.

"There's a lot of blame that I feel like takes place. Blame and shame," Brian Cohn said. "I think time definitely helps."

Water safety tips for families

The Zac Foundation wants everyone to know the ABC's of water safety.

• A is for adult: Children should never swim without an adult. Adults shouldn't ever swim alone, either.
• B is for barriers: Make sure there are barriers to bodies of water, such as fences, gates, doors and locks.
• C is for classes: Children should take swim lessons, and caregivers should know CPR in case of emergencies.
• D is for drain safety and devices: Remind children to never go near a pool or hot tub drain. Children and adults should wear life jackets in open water.
• E is for everywhere: Water is everywhere. Even bathtubs can pose a drowning risk, Karen Cohn said. Constant vigilance and education around water safety is essential.

Madeline Mitchell's role covering women and the caregiving economy at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.

Reach Madeline at memitchell@usatoday.com and @maddiemitch_ on X.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: This 6-year-old died in a pool drowning. What his family did next

Reporting by Madeline Mitchell, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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This story was originally published July 3, 2026 at 5:11 AM.