Photo for Headline Surfer / A simulation drowning exercise by Halifax Hospital on the beach in Ponce Inlet brings multiple first responders to witness the demonstration in Friday, May 2, 2025 in Ponce Inlet, Florida.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
PORT ORANGE, Fla. -- In response to a concerning rise in pediatric drownings across East Central Florida, Halifax Health took part in a comprehensive drowning simulation on Friday in partnership with representatives of local first responders.
Among the first responders were members of Volusia County Beach Safety, Volusia County Emergency Medical Services, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, and the cities of Ponce Inlet, Daytona Beach Shores, and Port Orange.
The simulation began at Edwin W. Peck Sr. Park in Ponce Inlet, where Beach Safety responders initiated the scenario with the simulated rescue of a pediatric drowning victim. The patient was then transferred to Volusia County EMS for on-scene medical stabilization. EMS transported the patient to Halifax Health – Medical Center of Port Orange, where hospital-based providers further stabilized the child before airlifting them to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando.
“We’re not just reacting—we’re preparing and educating,” Rachel Hamlett, nurse manager at Halifax Health, said. “Simulations like this give first responders and hospital providers the coordination practice they need. It’s a full-circle effort to save lives.”
“We’re not just reacting -- we’re preparing and educating,” Rachel Hamlett, nurse manager at Halifax Health, said. “Simulations like this give first responders and hospital providers the coordination practice they need. It’s a full-circle effort to save lives.”
This multi-agency drill was designed to enhance coordination, response times, and clinical care across the full continuum of emergency services—from the shoreline to advanced pediatric critical care—ensuring a seamless and life-saving protocol for real-world drowning emergencies.
The exercise is part of a larger regional response to the spike in pediatric drownings, particularly as warmer months draw more families to area beaches and pools. Halifax Health is also a proud partner in the newly launched Project Lifeline campaign—an awareness and prevention initiative to reduce childhood drowning incidents through education, outreach, and distribution of safety equipment.
About the Byline Writer: Henry Frederick is an award-winning journalist who launched Headline Surfer in 2008. The site serves the greater Daytona Beach, Sanford, and Orlando areas via HeadlineSurfer.com in Lake Mary, Florida. Frederick earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in Orlando. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade, and before that, the same beat with The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and covering other high-profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary shows on Discovery ID, Reelz, and the Oxygen Network series "Snapped" for his analysis. Assisting Henry Frederick with Headline Surfer is Sera King, who writes sports and feature stories, takes photos, and shoots video. • Bio: https://henryfrederick.com/.