thumbs-up day

the hot-button bill that

uld have extended compre-
Freedom, or TURF — a grass-
roots group that fights toll See TOLL/3B
laughing — she looked
asleep, Garcia said. She
looked serene.
nap, climbed the ladder on
her grandfather’s back-
yard pool and fell in.

Rick Perry (above) gives a

“I was scared. I didn’t
know what to do,” said to
Garcia said he rushed
his father-in-law’s
July 5, 2009

Biggest tragedy
Garcia, 27. “They had put house after getting the
s up to a Marion crowd after her in a room . . . I held emergency call and found
the “Contract with the Consti- mySA.com
her while we were there.
It was very hard, because, See TRAGEDY/4B

is that these deaths

” a document drafted by the San Keyword:
o Tea Party which targets public Slideshow
Check out
Drowning dangers
s and focuses on states’ rights. pictures of TIPS TO PREVENT DROWNING
The Pictures Band performs at
nd AFB’s 31st annual Star Span-
stival on Saturday. More on
were preventable holiday
events, from
parades to
tea parties.
■ NEVER LEAVE CHILDREN ALONE around water
■ INSTALL A FENCE around in-ground pools
■ SWIM IN SUPERVISED areas
h of July events, page 10B. In less than three Danika Garcia:
Toddler climbed ■ USE COVERS on pools
months, 4 A.children
EDWARD ORNELAS/EAORNELAS@EXPRESS-NEWS.NET
ladder on a pool ■ CHILD LOCKS ON DOORS that lead to pools or outside
in Bexar County and fell in.
■ ALARMS THAT GO OFF when the door opens
have drowned. ■ PHONE ACCESSIBILITY by the pool

oc puts inmates’ mental health first BY JAMIE KLEIN

jklein@express-news.net
I mean, it wasn’t her. She
did look so peaceful, but it
was very difficult. She
wasn’t, you know, it
■ USE FLOTATION DEVICES approved by the Coast Guard

CHILD DROWNING DEATHS BY TEXAS REGION

Danika Garcia loved toall wasn’t Children younger than 18 years old. 2006 through
r’s efforts recently Dr. Sally Taylor: She is
flip through books andless advocate
accounts,her.”
But Danika
Taylor has been a tire-
Garcia nev- ill in June 23, 2009
for the mentally
d national award. administrator of
pretend she was reading.SanerAntonio,
psychiatric services at
woke. The working Texas
withDe-local ad-
The curious 22-month-old partment of
vocacy groups to reduce Family and stigma Region A 10
Bexar County
usually had aJail. stuffed ani-about Protective
SA FLETCHER STOELTJE mental Services
illness, lists
encourage Region B 12
@express-news.net Hospital. mal in her hand and a bigchurches her as toone of four
address chil- disor-
mental Region C 53 A Dallas
smile on
Dr. Sally Taylor, her face.
administrator of ders drenandin promote
Bexar County — and
education
But everything had and one of seven in themental Region D 18
ecome a given among mental psychiatric services at Bexar County community awareness about
changed
on the by thelines
timeofherdisease.
agency’s 28-county San Region E 98
professionals that jails are Jail, has been
father,
front
Christopher Gar- Recently
Antonio, she region — with
who other C
largest psychiatric hospitals the struggle to treat and rehabilitate
cia, held her in a Univer-mental have health groups
worked
accidentally
Region F 32 B D
country . In Bexar
SHAMINDER County, as mentally ill prisoners.
DULAI/SDULAI@EXPRESS-NEWS.NET on legislation Region G 19 F
sity Hospital room on drowned since Jan.1
s around the nation, roughly Before that, she was the medical to compel mentally ill prisoners to H

ay
May 13. Danika wandered away Region H 12
of four inmates suffers from director of the psychiatric emergen- take their medication.
His little girl wasn’t from her mother during a G E
nd of mental illness. cy room at University Hospital for 17 This is important for those who Region I 21
laughing — she looked nap, climbed the ladder on
translates into some 800 in- years, dealing with some of the most have been found incompetent to San
asleep, Garcia said. She her grandfather’s back-
t the county jail being treat- disturbed and violent patients and stand trail and are in jail awaiting Antonio I Houston
looked serene. yard pool and fell in. Sources: The Texas Department of Family and
psychiatric disorder — hun- 4B training
S A Nscores
ANTON
“IofI Omedical
E X P R E S Sstudents
was scared. I didn’ttransfer
-NEWS S U N D AY ,to
Garciaansaid
J U LY inpatient
5, 2009 competency
he rushed Protective Services, Red Cross, SAFE Kids
more than patients being and other health professionals.
know what to do,” said to his father-in-law’s EXPRESS-NEWS GRAPHIC
or at the San Antonio State But she’s done
Garcia,more 27.than
“They that. ByputSeehouse
had TAYLOR/7Bafter getting the
her in a room . . . I held “If you call
emergency can’t see
and your
found child, you can’t save your child.”
Get the Teeth...and
mySA.com
Keyword:
the Smile You Have Always Wanted In Just ONE Visit.
her while we were there.
See TRAGEDY/4B
It was very hard, because,
PAT CRIMMINS, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES

Preserve Your Bone and

TRAGEDY
Slideshow Your Health
Drowning Now, Before
dangers It’s Too Late! 2 minutes
1 minute 3 minutes 4 minutes
Check out
BEFORE AFTER
pictures of FROM
nature Services CONTINUED
holiday
1B
Special Offer:
TIPS TO PREVENT DROWNING A General Dentist Who Provides
several
events, from
police
■ NEVER ISI (Instant Stability) Implant
officers.
The
LEAVE stages
CHILDREN ALONEof drowning
around water Complete Cosmetic & Implant Services,
l Conscious Sedation When he finally saw his
All in One Convenient
depending onLocation!
ON-4 “Teeth in a Day”
Upper
parades
teashe
and to
daughter lower fixed
at full arch
the
ALL-ON-4 Teeth-in-a-Day
already
parties.
■ bridge
INSTALL
ONLY $995!
by
hospital, A general
A FENCE aroundlook at the timing
in-ground and stages of a typical pool drowning. Actual time for drowning
pools
had been pro- other factors. The approximate length of time each stage takes:
varies,

Dr. Li Skelton, DDS, MS

the victim’s age, physical condition and

nounced dead. ■ SWIM IN SUPERVISED areas

A $1,250 Value. *Price does not include crown; offer valid thru 7/31/09.
ntal implants In Texas, 60 children
■ USE COVERS 10 onto pools Over 20 Years Experience
have drowned this year, a IMPORTANT 20FACTS:
seconds Infection is the leading 30 to 90 seconds
cause of bone 60 seconds 5-10 seconds 3 or 4 minutes total
S/EAORNELAS@EXPRESS-NEWS.NET
ious total smile and health Total smile & half
record function make-over
of■ them by all in
CHILD loss.Tooth
LOCKS ■ON DOORS
SURFACE infection
thatcan
STRUGGLE: lead sometimes
to pools or
The be fatal. Missing teeth
■ outside
INVOLUNTARY BREATH- 9200 ■ Broadway,
UNCONSCIOUSNESS: Suite 129 • SA,
■ HYPOXIC
TX 78217 ■ CLINICAL DEATH:
porcelain— crowns,
thebridges & implants
for that (even
June most
ALARMS
justOFF
victim onewhen
GO recognizes
tooth)thewill door
not only
thedanger,
affect your smile, but can
opensHOLDING: Victim’s body has Without oxygen, the body CONVULSION: Both breathing and
ke-over packages month since ■ the state THAT
affect the function and longevity of your remaining teeth.
e and TMJ correction
started keeping track in
is surprised
■ PHONE ACCESSIBILITY
afraid. With
and becomes
bya the pool
near-vertical Get dropped below water
attempts to protect itself byHealthy Teeth and Gums for Life!
line and shuts itself down as
unconsciousness results. With
Lack of oxygen to
the brain causes
circulation stop. The
heart stops

l health first
2005. The deaths include
Upperin
18 fixedthe
full arch by ALL-ON-4
bridge ■
Houston USE FLOTATION
region,
FREE
positionNew
DEVICES
in thePatient
water and
or no legapproved
Consultation by the Coast
involuntary breath-holding.
ThisGuard
Call (210) 824-1880
breathing stopped, the victim is the victim to have pumping blood. The
house high-tech dental lab Teeth-in-a-Day
15 in the and partial
Fortdenture
Worth for lower
and little
the victim makes random
movement,
the mouth causes the epiglottis
happens because water in in respiratory arrest. The body
is motionless with no sounds of
a brief convulsion.
Victim’s skin turns
victim is in cardiac
arrest and dies.
Dallas region, six in the FREE CT 3DDEATHS
Diagnostic
ouse 3D (CT) image center Corpus Christi region CHILD and DROWNING
grasping or flipping
Imaging
BY TEXAS REGION
motions
forcannot to close over the airway. The breathing. The victim sinks to blue and there
with hands. Victim victim usually does not make bottom of the pool and will may be a froth or
six in the Austin region, Implant 18Patients
erest-free financeTaylor
all accounts, optionshas been Implant
according supported
a tire- to the Children
DFPS. younger
all porcelain than and
breathe years old. does
so usually 2006 through
any sound, because he or she is remain unconscious unless foaming saliva.
On
less advocate for the mentally
bridge for missing molars
illaverage,
in June
70 children
(A $500 Value.)
23, 2009 not make any sound. unable to breathe. www.drlidentist.com
breathing is re-established.
have drowned each year Sources: Allison Osinski, Ph.D., Aquatic Consulting Services; Jef Ellis and Associates
San Antonio, working withsince
localDFPS
ad- began its un-
vocacy groups to reduceofficial
stigma Region A
count, the agen-
10 MIKE FISHER/mfisher@express-news.net

about mental illness, encourage

cy’s Web site states. Region But
B 12
churches to address mentalthis year, the total could
disor-
surpass the 82 recorded Region Cin 53 The other Bexar County drownings
A 2-year-old Dallas
off whenever it isn’t in
use.
ting she isn’t coming
back.
topher Garcia said. “He
gets it, but he doesn’t get
f ders and promote education2008. and Obed Morales, a sister. Police Sometimes, Tyler asks “He asks about her it . . . We tell him she’s in
Region D 18
y community awareness about mental Children — more specif- 3-year-old boy, drowned officers knocked on doors where Danika is, forget- from time to time,” Chris- a better place.”
Region Ein- April 23 in the pool98
ically those between at a for an hour trying to locate
f disease. C
e Recently, she worked with fancy and the age of 4 — home his mother was
other
are most at Region risk Ffor cleaning. 32 He was watching B D
the mother. The sister was
taken into Child Protective
mental health groups on legislation drowning, said
Region Linda
G TV,
19but when she checked F
Services’ custody.
l to compel mentally ill prisoners to Whitney, a programs and
for the Hlo- 12
services officer Region
on him H
she couldn’t find Leonell Robinson Jr., an
- take their medication. him. After a 10-minute
cal Red Cross chapter. Par- search, his mother, G E
8-year-old boy, drowned
June 13 while swimming in
7 This is important for those who Region I 21
ents need to know it takes Enayance Samargo, 39, and a pool with other children.
t have been found incompetent an inch to of water to kill a a friend found him floating San
d stand trail and are in jailchild, awaiting
she said. facedown. I
When someoneHouston
noticed he
Antonio was at the bottom, adults F I N E R U G G A L L E R Y

50% OFF
Sources:
For children 1 or young- The Texas Department of Family and
s transfer to an inpatient competency Protective Victoria Hernandez,
Services, Red Cross, SAFE Kids 20 pulled him out and
er, officials said, most months, drowned June 6 in performed CPR; he was
drownings occur in bath- a pond near the apartment taken to University
EXPRESS-NEWS GRAPHIC
y See TAYLOR/7B tubs, while older children complex where she lived Hospital, where he died.
often drown in swimming with her mother and SOURCE: DFPS
pools and lakes.

ays Wanted In Just ONE Visit. Pat Crimmins, a spokes-

man with DFPS, said chil- child, you can’t save your They may be at the bot-

ow, Before It’s Too Late!

dren need closer supervi- child,” Crimmins said. tom of the pool or lake be-
sion from adults — par- “Toddlers can get into dif- fore you know.”

pecial Offer:
ents,
anyone
them.
baby
else
sitters or ficulty in the water in a
watching matter of seconds. It’s a can do — especially if
A General Dentist Who Provides
“The best thing a parent

very simple message, but they have a pool — is

ALL RUGS
“Children are just not it’s vital.” learn CPR,” Whitney con-
ant Stability) Implant being supervised ade- Complete Cosmetic & Implant Services,
Swimming lessons are tinued. “So that if some-
perfect in subtle color
All in One Convenient Location! any setting
quately,” he said. “Every important because they thing does happen they
NLY $995! single drowning of a child teach children how to be can respond quickly and
is preventable. It’s all pre- comfortable around water still call 911 to get the
variations
ce does not include crown; offer valid thru 7/31/09.ventable.” Dr. Li Skelton, DDS, MS
None of the drownings ing the beach,
and about rules concern- next level of care there as
Over 20 lake Yearsor Experience
quickly as possible.”
C O M E S E E O U R NEW
FACTS: Infection is the leading cause of bone

V ER DIGR IS
in Bexar County this year pool, Whitney said. A memorial honoring
ection can sometimes be fatal. Missing teeth in
resulted 9200 Broadway, Suite 129 • SA, TX 78217
criminal But even if children can Danika Garcia is now in
e tooth) will not only affect your smile, but can
charges. swim, parents still need to the backyard of her
ction and longevity of your remainingSeeandSave.org, teeth.
Get Healthy Teeth and Gums for Life!
created put “layers of protection” grandfather’s house. The
by DFPS, offers parents in place, Whitney said. back door has an extra
w Patient
ultation Call (210) 824-1880
statistics and tips for in- “Drowning is very lock, out of reach of Tyler
door and outdoor water quiet,” Whitney said. “It’s Garcia — Danika’s 5-year- COLLEC T ION
safety. not always easy to tell if old brother. The ladder at-
D Diagnostic
ng for
Patients
“If you can’t see your someone is drowning. tached to the pool comes
Tibetan style
d twisted

hand knotted
d wool

0 Value.) www.drlidentist.com