ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and a Venice family hope to prevent drownings as warmer weather draws more people to the water.

During Thanksgiving, the Bellamy family had a major scare when their two-year-old son Paul went missing. The toddler was discovered unresponsive in the family’s pool.

“I just had to get him out, and I just prayed that he was still there,” said Hannah Bellamy, the child’s mother.

Loud screams from Paul’s dad, Travis, prompted several neighbors to run over and assist, performing CPR on the toddler before first responders arrived.

Paul had to be airlifted to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital where doctors said the near-drowning experience left him with a brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen.

Hannah said the doctors told them “to keep hope, but they couldn’t promise anything and that’s one of my biggest fears as a parent.”

Safety experts at All Children’s share Florida leads the nation in drowning deaths for children under five years old. An average of 74 children have died each year over the past decade due to drowning, according to national data.

“Knowing CPR is extremely important. We have learned that they do typically see better outcomes if a tragedy happens and if CPR is administered right away,” said Petra Stanton, JHAC Safe Kids Supervisor.

All Children’s has water safety tips for children listed on their website.