[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20489]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING DENNIS CUBA AND DAVID PARSONS

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 30, 2009

  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize two heroic 
police officers from my district and to reinforce the importance of 
swimming pool safety.
  On the evening of Tuesday, July 7, City of Pembroke Pines police 
officers Dennis Cuba, a seven-year force veteran and David Parsons, a 
25-year force veteran, arrived within one minute of receiving a call 
about a boy whose arm was entrapped in the drain of a hot tub.
  There is no doubt that the quick response and professionalism of the 
Pembroke Pines Police Department saved five-year old Miguel Marin's 
life.
  Officers Parsons and Cuba were able to revive Miguel, but only after 
several attempts to free him from the brute force and suction of the 
spa drain--the result of a faulty drain cover.
  Unfortunately, not all of these stories have a happy ending. Drowning 
is the leading cause of unintentional death to children under the age 
of five.
  Hundreds of children across our country have died as a result of 
accidental drowning in swimming pools and spas.
  In 2007, Congress passed the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa 
Safety Act, which aims to stop these senseless accidents.
  In addition to encouraging the use of barriers, such as fencing to 
prevent children from wandering unsupervised into the pool, this law 
increases safety at public swimming pools and spas by requiring anti-
entrapment drain covers. And yet even with these protections, we must 
remind parents to be vigilant and know where their children are at all 
times.
  On behalf of the citizens of Pembroke Pines, I thank officers Parsons 
and Cuba for their heroic efforts and hope that we can learn an 
important lesson from this near-tragedy.

                          ____________________