Water Safety May Keep the Youngest Swimmers Alive

Summer vacation and warm weather means thousands of families will flock to beaches and public and backyard pools.

For experts and emergency personnel, this is the time to emphasize water safety that can keep the youngest and most vulnerable party-goers from drowning.

It’s sometimes called the silent killer. Children can drown in mere seconds sometimes even while being supervised by someone older, experts said.    

“Drowning can happen at any time of year, but be especially cautious during the summer months, when drowning incidents can increase up to 89 percent as compared with the rest of the year,” SafeKids a global organization dedicated to preventing injuries in children wrote on their website.

The group works with organizations across Southern California to spread the word on child safety. Preventing drowning is a priority for the group.

Here are some SafeKids tips on how to keep children safe:

• Actively supervise children in and around open bodies of water, giving them your undivided attention.
• When there are several adults present and children are swimming, use the Water Watcher card strategy, which designates an adult as the Water Watcher for a certain amount of time (such as 15-minute periods) to prevent lapses in supervision. Download a Water Watcher card here.
• Whether you’re swimming in a backyard pool or in a lake, teach children to swim with a partner, every time. From the start, teach children to never go near or in water without an adult present.
• We know you have a million things to do, but learning CPR should be on the top of the list. It will give you tremendous peace of mind – and the more peace of mind you have as a parent, the better. Local hospitals, fire departments and recreation departments offer CPR training.
• Educate your children about the dangers of drain entanglement and entrapment and teach them to never play or swim near drains or suction outlets.

Currently a lot of recreation departments are running swim lessons. While swim lessons should never be used in place of supervision, many experts advise providing the lessons to improve a child’s chance to avoid dangers. Several cities also have swim teams that offers ongoing lessons.

Check with your city to find a program that works best for your family.

If you want more safety tips, check their website. They break it down by age group.