Water Safety

As summer approaches and the days get warmer, more people are finding fun and relaxation through water activities. This increases the risks of water related injuries and deaths. In 2005, there were over 4,000 reported drowning’s in the United States, averaging more than 10 deaths each day.

Drowning is the second leading cause of death among children ages 1-14. Children under the age of 1, most often drown in bathtubs, buckets or toilets, whereas children ages 1- 4 years, have more occurrences in backyard swimming pools. In most cases, children are out of an adults sight for less than 5 minutes. Even non-fatal drowning can cause severe brain damage due to the lack of oxygen.

To help prevent water related injuries:

1) Designate a responsible adult to watch young children while in the bathtub, swimming or playing in and around water. Be aware of distracting activities such as, answering the phone, reading or doing household chores. As stated earlier, it only takes a few minutes for a child to slip under the water and drown.

2) Have your children learn how to swim, but do not use this as an excuse to leave them unattended at any time.

3) Children should wear PFDs (Personal Flotation Devices) whenever they are in or around open water or participating in water sports.

4) Install a four-sided, isolation pool fence, which is completely separated from the house or children’s play area.

5) Remove all floats, balls or toys from the pool after all swimming activities. Many young children fall into pools trying to obtain these items.

6) Learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). In the time it takes Paramedics to arrive, most victims have suffered sufficient amount of brain damage, that they cannot be resuscitated. Using CPR skills on a drowning victim has shown to significantly improve a victims chance of survival.

By initialing these safety guidelines you can create a safer environment your children.