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Conroe community shows support for family of 3-year-old who drowned
FOX 26's Sherman Desselle spoke with the parents of Camilla Cannon, the 3-year-old who drowned in a pool on July 19, after they held a day of celebration for their child.
CONROE, TX - A Conroe family is turning tragedy into an opportunity to save lives after losing their 3-year-old, Camilla Cannon, who drowned in a pool in mid-July.
PREVIOUS: Parents of 3-year-old drowning victim hold benefit Saturday in Conroe to celebrate her life
Camilla's parents held a day of celebration for their child Saturday, which kicked off with a motorcycle ride benefit, assisted by the Montgomery County Constable Offices.
Local businesses and organizations gathered at Southern Star Brewing in Conroe to help raise funds for the family. Swimming and CPR instructors set up booths to provide helpful information about water safety.
Camilla's parents said after seeing the impact their little girl had on the community, they wanted to turn the devastating loss into something positive and informative.
"Not a lot of people know that drowning is the leading cause of death for children under 5," says her father Chad Cannon. "We didn’t know that before that. If we can get this story out and save as many kids as we can. We’d be grateful for that."
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Parents of 3-year-old who drowned urging others to teach children how to swim
FOX 26 Reporter Randy Wallace spoke with the parents of a 3-year-old girl who drowned who is reminding parents to teach their children how to swim and to have life jackets nearby.
Camilla drowned after taking off her life jacket and dipping her feet in the pool to wash them off that day.
Her parents said it only took a matter of seconds for her to lose her life.
"A tragedy like this is actually why we got into the business to begin with," says Shenoah Frisch, Owner of Manta Swimming Academy. "We do scholarships and things along those lines to prevent tragedies like this from happening."
Several individuals and families inquired or signed up with Manta for swimming and safety lessons Saturday.
In addition to the information, food vendors, silent auctions, free activities for the kids, and live music was provided at Saturday's benefit.
More benefits for Camilla are being planned soon, including a Jeep event and softball tournament.