ABOUT 
josh the otter

Tragedy Struck

On a warm spring day in June during a family gathering at our home Joshua slipped out of sight for just a few short moments. He was quickly discovered in the backyard pool, unconscious and unresponsive. Family immediately started CPR and he was life flighted to Children’s Hospital in Omaha. After three days of lying by his side in the hospital Joshua was taken off life support and passed away shortly there after. He left behind his mother, father, brother, and countless family and friends who loved him. 

Community Support

Our community of family and friends carried us through the most challenging season. They showered us with love, support, and grace. This saved us and gave us the strength to continue serving other families in Josh's name. We are grateful beyond measure for their initial generosity and the next wave of countless kind people who partnered with us, volunteered, donated, and dedicated themselves to this cause with us.

Aware Of A Need

We know Joshua would have been a great young man if given the opportunity. We felt the pain of his accident. We thought we had taken all of the safety precautions we possibly could. But then, we learned about hundreds of children who died across the country from accidents like ours. That's when we decided to act. We created the Joshua Collingsworth Memorial Foundation in his honor, and from that day forward, we committed to solving the drowning problem.

Saving Lives Legacy

Thanks to the dedication of our team, volunteers, partners, and donors, Joshua’s legacy is now about saving lives. This movement is a triumph and it will continue! We are dedicated more than ever to educating parents and children to keep them safe in and around water with new, innovative, safety education training programs and water awareness campaigns.