Are you ready to enjoy the waters of California this summer? Learn about water safety with Olly the Sea Lion!
San Gabriel/Pomona Regional Center (SGPRC) recently launched its “Be Splash Safe with Olly the Sea Lion” campaign. The campaign features Olly, a friendly cartoon sea lion who shares water safety tips with children, families, and communities. The campaign encourages safe habits around pools, beaches, lakes, and other water activities, including:
- always supervise children near water
- learn to swim
- wear life jackets
- use pool barriers and alarms
- learn CPR and emergency response skills
Water safety education saves lives.
Thank you to SGPRC for leading this important effort and partnering with the regional center system to expand water safety awareness throughout California. Explore the campaign and access free resources through the SGPRC website.
California leaders are also encouraging families to take steps to prevent drownings and water-related injuries. In a message about Water Safety Month, Governor Gavin Newsom urged Californians to “spread awareness on water safety and help protect others from these preventable tragedies.”
By taking small safety steps and staying prepared, we can all enjoy California’s water activities this season!
Help Reduce Near Drownings in California
Swimming and other water activities can be a great way to stay active and enjoy warmer weather. They can also come with serious risks.
Survivors of near drowning accidents often experience disabilities for the remainder of their lives. These include brain damage that can result in loss of memory, seizures, learning disabilities, paralysis, and sometimes coma.
As of December 2025, the Department serves 738 survivors of near-drowning accidents. Fifty-nine of them are between the ages of birth and ten years old.
Together we can reduce the number of near drownings in California this year. Share resources from www.dds.ca.gov/watersafety with your community!
A Personal Note about Ryan Langen from Aaron Christian, Chief of Population Risk, Quality Assurance, and Data Operations:
Our colleague Ryan Langen, the Assistant Branch Chief of Risk Management, passed away earlier this year. Ryan had been part of the Department’s family since 2013. Through his work, Ryan helped develop the safety and wellness bulletins shared with our community, including the drowning prevention and wildfire preparedness resources featured in this newsletter.
Thank you, Ryan, for your years of dedication to the well-being of Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. We miss you very much and are grateful to have had the opportunity to work with you.