Local mom shares water safety lessons from personal loss

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - A Yuma mother is sharing her personal story to help raise awareness about water safety and drowning prevention.

Melissa Hull says her advocacy work began after the loss of her four-year-old son, Drew, who drowned in an irrigation canal near their Yuma County home in 2000.

Hull says many families immediately think about swimming pools when discussing water safety, but she believes irrigation canals are often overlooked dangers in Yuma County.

“We have over 220 miles of open irrigation systems in Yuma County alone. So that means that there is a great need to discuss and educate the public about the hidden dangers and potential risks of irrigation canals in our community,” Hull said.

Hull says her son was “just an adventurous little boy” and hopes sharing his story can help other families better understand how quickly drowning accidents can happen.

She encourages parents to create multiple layers of protection around water, including fences, alarms, self-latching gates, and close supervision.

Hull also speaks openly about grief and healing in her book, Dear Drew: Creating a Life Bigger Than Grief. In the book, she shares her perspective on learning to move forward after loss while continuing to honor her son’s memory.

Hull will host a book signing and water safety event Friday at Barnes & Noble in Yuma from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. She says the event will also include water safety education resources for families. To register you can visit this link.