Swimming pools and lakes are a good way to cool off from the high temperatures, but officials are warning parents to watch their children as the number of drowning cases increases.

More than 60 kids have drowned in Texas this year as of July 31, according to state data.

“Drowning is a leading cause of accidental death for kids under the age of 5, and toddlers are especially at risk,” according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services’ website.

As of July 31, four fatal drownings were reported in Collin County. This compares to zero fatalities in 2018 and three in 2017, according to state data.

Data on the number of drownings is compiled on a statewide registry, and hospitals are required to report their numbers, but many cases go unreported, according to Marisa Abbe, program manager of injury prevention at Children’s Health. Children’s offers pediatric health, wellness and acute care services.

“Drowning is very underreported at the state level, so we do not have a true and accurate picture of how and why children drown,” Abbe said in an email. “At Children’s [Health] we have our own ... registry so that we can create a data-informed intervention program.”

Abbe said she is also working at the state level to address this issue in hopes of making the statewide registry easier to use and report the number of drowning cases.

“It is a public health crisis because [drownings] are 100% preventable,” Abbe said.

To help improve safety, Children’s Health recommends that parents teach their children how to swim and that they ensure the right equipment is installed or available, including a fence around the pool and life jackets for young children and poor swimmers. Children’s also recommends parents assign someone to be a designated “water watcher” who can focus on children in the water without distraction.