Parents of 6-year-old who drowned at Altadena camp launch online series to protect other children

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Tuesday, May 18, 2021
SoCal parents of drowning victim raise awareness to protect others
SoCal parents of drowning victim raise awareness to protect othersThe parents of a 6-year-old girl who drowned at an Altadena summer camp are on a mission to prevent more drowning tragedies.

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- In the two years since their 6-year-old daughter Roxie drowned at a summer camp in Altadena, Doug Forbes and Elena Matyas say every day is spent weeping and working.

"Drowning is something people think won't happen to them, won't happen to their children, until it does," Matyas said.

Forbes and Matyas are grieving the loss of their bubbly, bright little girl. But they're also working to make sure no family experiences their devastating loss.

"We should not outlive our children, our 6-year-old daughter," Forbes said. "But unfortunately, we have. So we had a choice to kind of curl up in a ball and do nothing or wake up and do something. So that's why we're here."

As a result of their efforts, the state of California now recognizes the third week in May as "Roxie's Wish: Drowning Prevention Week for Children."

RELATED: Drowning at Altadena camp spurs suit, call for new laws

The drowning of a 6-year-old girl at an Altadena summer camp has led to a lawsuit from her parents and calls for better regulations of camps.

Beginning Saturday, Forbes and Matyas will air a seven-part series online to promote drowning prevention. They're hoping to one day bring this curriculum into local schools.

"The work that we do is extraordinarily hard," Forbes said. "But what choice do we have?"

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of injury death for children between the ages of 1 and 4.

Drowning Prevention Week episodes will air on the family's website and YouTube page, Meow Meow Foundation.

RELATED | How to spot the key signs of drowning and what you can do to save someone

ABC7 spoke with an expert about understanding the signs of drowning and what to do in the situation.

"Roxie's in my heart, and Roxie is saying 'Mom, you got to keep going, you got to keep fighting for me and for my friends,'" Matyas said.

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