Most parents feel confident when it comes to water safety. We watch bath time. We buckle life jackets. We slip floaties on eager little arms and feel like we’ve done enough. But what if I told you that those common measures, while well-intentioned, aren’t always enough?

The statistics are heartbreaking: drowning is the number one cause of death in children ages 1-4, and the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 5-15. And yet, most of us parents don’t know that. I didn’t.

My name is Meshea Ingram, and in July of 2022, my son Briggs drowned at just two years old. It’s still difficult to write those words. Briggs was full of life, our sunshine boy with a giggle that filled a room and a mischievous twinkle in his eye. He loved tractors, fishing, fire trucks, and riding the ATV across our land. He was curious, bright, and adored by all who knew him.

That summer, we were spending time at my in-laws’ lake house in Alabama. We had been on the boat that morning, and as always, Briggs wore his Coast Guard-approved life jacket. He didn’t particularly like the water and rarely got in without clinging to me. When we returned to the house, we started packing to leave. I stepped away briefly to vacuum, and in a matter of moments, seconds, he was gone.

Briggs entered the water during what we now know was a non-swim time, a window of vulnerability most parents don’t think about. Nearly 77% of child drownings occur when water play wasn’t even planned, and 88% of drownings occur with at least 1 adult present. He wasn’t wearing a life jacket because we weren’t swimming. We were cleaning up. Transitioning. Distracted.

I still remember the panic, the searching, the moment I said to my husband, “We have to check the lake.” Josh found him and pulled him from the water. He immediately began CPR and performed it for 30 minutes. Miraculously, Briggs regained a heartbeat and was flown to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham. We clung to hope for five long days. But on July 22, 2022, our baby boy left this earth.

In the days and months after, I learned facts that devastated me even more. I discovered ISR—Infant Swimming Resource—survival swim lessons that teach children as young as six months old how to swim and roll over and float until help arrives or they are able to find an exist themselves. I learned that drowning is almost always silent and incredibly fast. And I realized that most parents, like me, don’t know these things, because no one is telling us.

That’s why I started Love Can Build a Briggs, a nonprofit named in honor of my son. Our mission is to raise awareness about the realities of childhood drowning, offer grief support to families who have suffered this same kind of loss, and provide scholarships for survival swim lessons so more children are equipped to survive if they find themselves in the water alone.

We believe the best way to prevent drowning is through education, honest, compassionate conversations about what truly keeps children safe. That includes certified survival swim lessons, proper barriers and alarms, appropriate life jackets, and understanding the risks of certain floatation devices that can create false confidence.

We also advocate for visibility: drowning prevention should be discussed at pediatrician offices, daycares, hospitals, and schools. Water safety shouldn’t be seasonal. It should be woven into parenting conversations year-round.

I wish I could go back and equip myself with this knowledge before that July day. I wish someone had told me. That’s why I now speak out, even when it’s hard, because I know I’m not alone, and because this message can save lives.

If you’re a parent, grandparent, teacher, or caregiver, I urge you: learn the facts. Make a plan. Teach your children water safety before introducing them to water play. You can start by visiting our website, www.lovecanbuildabriggs.com, where we provide resources, survival swim scholarships, and information on how to get involved.

Briggs’ life was a gift. His story is now a mission. And we believe with all our hearts that love really can build a legacy strong enough to save lives.

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