Author: luke

14 Ways To Keep Your Toddler Safe

Toddlers—curious, energetic explorers—are attracted to water. It’s not surprising that water tables are one of the most popular toddler toys on the market. Water is fun, it shimmers and ripples, and you can splash in it and use it to fill things. From a toddler’s point of view, what’s not to like? They’re too young to understand that water can also be dangerous. Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death for those 1 to 4 years of age.

All It Takes is 10 Seconds and a Couple of Inches of Water

When it comes to water dangers, curiosity isn’t the only disadvantage toddlers have. Drowning can happen quickly and quietly. A toddler’s head is disproportionately larger than their body, making it heavy. So, if their head goes into the water, it’s difficult for them to lift it, and if their nose and mouth are in the water, it can get into their airway, and they can drown. When a child is drowning, and there’s water in their airways, they can’t speak or call for help.

Water Dangers for Toddlers are Everywhere

Although home swimming pools are where most children under the age of four drown, there are plenty of other places in and around homes that are also dangerous. For example, children under one year of age most often drown in a bathtub, toilet, or bucket. The biggest drowning threat facing families with toddlers is unexpected, unsupervised access to water in all kinds of places: swimming pools, hot tubs, and spas, bathtubs, natural bodies of water such as ponds, toilets, buckets, and standing water in homes.

Distractions can lead to Tragedy

In the time it takes to look in your bag for your phone, search for sunscreen, slather your hot dog with mustard, or send a quick text message, your child could drown. The simple reality is that the only way to keep children safe in and around water is constant supervision. We like to convince ourselves that we can multi-task, but we can’t. Remember, it only takes seconds for disaster, so if you’re on your phone, reading a book, or having a conversation, you can’t effectively watch kids in the water.

14 Ways to Protect Your Toddler from Drowning

Residential swimming pools and spas

To ensure water safety in a home pool or spa:

1. Learn to swim.

As a parent, it’s imperative to remember that there’s no substitute for active adult supervision of your kids around water. But an important line of defense for your children is having the ability to swim on their own. In fact, according to the CDC, swim lessons can reduce the rate of drowning by 88%.

If your toddler is not already enrolled in swim class, there’s no better time than the present to get them started. The AAP recommends swim lessons as a layer of protection against drowning that can begin for many children starting at age 1.

2. Fence it in.

Install a fence at least four feet tall to separate the pool area from the house and yard. Toddlers are small, clever, and curious, so make sure they can’t slip through vertical slats by ensuring that the gaps are no wider than four inches, the fence isn’t more than four inches off the ground, and it’s not easily climbed.

Ensure the fence doesn’t block the view of the pool from outside the fenced area, so you have a clear view. Install self-closing and self-latching gates that open away from the pool area with latches beyond a child’s reach.

3. Install alarms.

No matter how vigilant you are, it’s nearly impossible to see everything. Use an alarm on the house door that leads to the pool area, a floating pool alarm, or a below-water alarm in the pool. An alarm isn’t a substitute for appropriate fencing and supervision, but it can help.

4. Remove toys.

Those colorful pool toys can be very enticing to a young child, and they can slip and fall into the water trying to retrieve a toy, so make sure you remove them from the water when the pool’s empty. To be extra safe, store them, so they’re not visible.

5. Keep wheels away from the water.

Keep the pool area clear of bikes, tricycles, scooters, skateboards, and roller skates because they can easily swerve or skid, causing a child to fall into the pool accidentally and drown. The weight of these items can trap children underwater.

6. Avoid alcohol.

Sure, a cold beer on a hot summer day sounds good, but if you’re swimming or supervising children who are swimming or playing in the water, it’s not a good idea.

7. Keep emergency equipment handy.

Always have emergency equipment accessible, a life ring with a rope, shepherd’s crook, or a reaching pole. You should always have a phone in the pool area in case of an emergency.

8. Block pool and hot tub access.

Cover the pool with a rigid, motorized safety cover to block access to the pool when it’s not in use. Secure a cover on hot tubs. Don’t allow water to collect on top of the pool or hot tub cover. Always remove above-ground pool steps or ladders or lock them behind a fence when the pool isn’t in use. Make sure to empty inflatable pools after each use.

9. Beware of drains.

Make sure children don’t play near or sit on pool or hot tub drains. It’s very easy for body parts and hair to become entrapped by the strong suction. You can also purchase specially designed drain covers, safety vacuum-release systems to prevent entrapment.

10. Know CPR.

Knowing how to respond in an emergency is mandatory. Everyone, including parents, caregivers, and older children, should learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Check out area organizations, such as the American Red Cross, fire departments, and hospitals to find CPR certification courses.

Toilets, Bathtubs, and Buckets

A baby can drown in just a couple of inches of water. A curious toddler can fall into a toilet, bucket and quickly slip in a bathtub. Consider these precautions:

11. Keep the bathroom door closed.

It may seem like overkill, but installing a safety latch or doorknob cover on the outside of the bathroom door can potentially save you from heartache.

12. Supervise bath time.

Let the phone ring; they’ll call back. Never leave a child alone in the bathtub or the care of another child. Always drain water from the tub immediately after use.

13. Shut toilet lids.

Remember those cute but large toddler heads. It’s easy for a toddler to topple into a toilet. Consider installing childproof locks on lids.

14. Store buckets safely.

As tempting as it may be to promise yourself you’ll get to it later, empty buckets and other containers immediately after use. Don’t leave them outside, where they can accumulate water.

The good news is drowning is preventable. When it comes to keeping your young child safe in and around the water, the bottom line is supervision. You are your child’s best protection. Always keep young children within arm’s reach to prevent the unthinkable. Check out our programs and join the effort to ensure that everyone is safe!

Myths About Drowning and Water Safety

A day at the pool or the beach or boating on the water is a favorite recreational activity. While they’re all wonderful ways to spend leisure time, they can become places of heartbreak and disaster in just seconds.

Drownings are a leading cause of injury and death for young children ages one to fourteen, and three children die every day due to drowning. Drowning kills more children ages one to four than anything else except birth defects. It’s only fun if everyone is safe.

Sadly, misconceptions persist. Are you water safe? Do you know what drowning looks like? The chances are good that it doesn’t look like what you think it does. Make sure you know the facts to keep everyone safe.

Myth: Drowning is noisy. I’ll hear my child (or anyone) splashing and struggling in time to help.

Fact: Despite what you may have seen in movies, in real life drowning is silent and can happen quickly. This is a particularly dangerous myth when it comes to young children. They can’t figure out what to do, such as right themselves or stand up, even in a few inches of water. As a result, they can just “slip away” in silence.

Myth: Floats and water wings will keep children safe.

Fact: Pool toys may keep children afloat, but they also give a young child an illusion of safety, thinking they can jump in at any time, and they’ll be fine. Pool toys, including floaties, are not life-saving devices. A Coast Guard-approved life jacket is the best water safety device for any swimmer, but none of these things should ever be used in place of direct adult supervision.

Myth: Once children learn to swim, they don’t need life vests.

Fact: At swimming pools and supervised swimming areas, an older child who swims well may not need to wear a life vest. However, parents may also need to make that judgment. Some public or resort pools require that children take a swimming test, but often it’s up to the parent. Children need to be good swimmers. The drowning risks increase with steep banks, at rivers or docks, at places where the water is swift, dark, and cold, and rescue becomes much more challenging.

When boating, rafting or tubing, or swimming in open water like a lake or a river, adults, and children should always wear properly fitted United States Coast Guard (USCG) approved life jackets.

Myth: As long as there’s a lifeguard nearby, my child will be safe.

Fact: A lifeguard is scanning the entire area, not just watching your child. You still need to watch your child at all times when he or she is in the water. It takes only 60 seconds for an adult to drown and only 20 seconds for a child to drown.

Myth: Kids are safe in a wading pool or shallow water.

Fact: Children can drown in inches of water, and a child can become submerged in water in as little as two minutes. The absence of adult supervision is a factor in nearly all child drownings, including those in shallow water. Strong currents can drag kids (and adults) into open water very quickly in the ocean or rivers.

Myth: You should always jump in the water to save someone.

Fact: The American Red Cross advises reaching out to them from the side or throwing them something to help them stay afloat (like a life ring). Jumping in may present a risk to you if a panicked person takes you down. If someone is unconscious, you’ll have to go in. However, even experienced swimmers can find it tough to pull someone out of the water.

Myth: You don’t have to worry about drowning when there are lots of people around.

Fact: It’s not recommended that anyone swim alone, although there’s no real safety in numbers. Unsupervised kids drown in crowded pools, in part because drowning is usually silent with no screaming or warning calls. According to the Red Cross, 90 percent of drowning deaths occur within 30 feet of safety.

Myth: I don’t live or vacation near the water, so I don’t need to worry.

Fact: Water hazards are everywhere, including in and around every home. Toddlers have drowned in five-gallon buckets, garden ponds, and even toilet bowls. Keep young children out of the bathroom except when directly supervised, and don’t leave buckets or barrels where they can gather water. Always stay in the bathroom with young children each minute they are in the bathtub. A baby’s or toddler’s bath can be a life or death situation and should be entrusted only to adults.

Unintentional drowning is preventable. Protect yourself from the devastating consequences of losing a child or loved one due to drowning.

Follow the Safer 3 and use layers of protection: proper safety barriers, constant arms reach supervision and learn to swim. Learn more about drowning and prevention programs and use our Water Safety Checklist to keep your family safe

Water Safety is Not just a Summer Subject

Drowning Prevention is a Year-Round Issue

Some safety issues are specific to seasons (depending on where you live). We remind people to wear sunscreen and to stay hydrated during hot, sunny weather. The winter months bring warnings of staying safe in snow and ice. However, water safety is not just a summer subject or only about the pools, lakes, or oceans.

This is particularly important for babies and toddlers who can drown very quickly in less than an inch of water. A toilet, a bathtub, or even a dog bowl can be a source for drowning. When it comes to curious young children, any water body is a safety risk even during non-swimming times. That means water safety is everyone’s responsibility all year when young children are around.

Drownings are a leading cause of injury and death for young children ages one to fourteen, and three children die every day due to drowning. Drowning kills more children ages one to four than anything else except birth defects. The manner of drawing varies by age:

● Babies (Under 12- months of age) most often drown in bathtubs, buckets, and toilets.
● Young children (one to four years of age) are more likely to drown in swimming pools, hot tubs, and spas.
● Older kids, teens, and young adults drown primarily in natural water bodies, such as lakes and rivers.

Year-Round Water Safety Basics

Supervision is rule #1. Kids must be watched whenever they’re around water. This goes for water in a bathtub, a wading pool, an ornamental fish pond, a swimming pool, a spa, a sink, a toilet bowl, buckets, an ocean, or a lake—even small bodies of standing water, such as a ditch filled with rainwater. Even children who know how to swim can be at risk of drowning. All it takes is an accident. A child can slip, lose consciousness, and fall into a fish pond or a rain-filled ditch.

Bathroom Water Safety

Never leave a young child unattended in the bathroom, even for a second! In 2014 there were 67 fatal drownings in bathtubs, 78 percent of which involved children under age 5. Even a child who seems safely propped up can slip down and drown. It can happen in seconds. Bathtubs can also be slippery places. To keep kids safe, put anti-skid strips on the tub’s bottom or use a plastic bath mat that adheres to the tub.

Bathtubs aren’t the only potential water safety hazard in the bathroom. Toilets can easily lure a curious child. To keep young kids safe, install a toilet-lid locking device or doorknob cover, and keep bathroom doors closed at all times to keep young kids safe. Make sure to wipe up any water spills, whether from the tub, sink, or toilet, to prevent falls.

Pool, Pond, Spa, and Hot Tub Water Safety

Vigilance is key! Although fences are not 100 percent child-proof, installing a fence that goes directly around a pool or spa is the best safety investment you can make. Four-sided pool fencing decreases water-related injuries in young children by more than 50 percent.

Outdoor Winter Water Safety

Watch out for thin ice. Drowning can occur in cold weather, too. Avoid walking, skating, or riding on weak or thawing ice. Pay attention to posted warnings regarding ice safety and consult a local recreation department for current ice conditions.

Unintentional drowning can happen at any time of the year. The good news is that’s it’s preventable. Learn more about drowning and prevention programs. We understand that you have a lot on your mind, but children need adults’ undivided attention when they are near or in water.

The pandemic ushered in the new decade, creating an environment of fear and uncertainty and set off a dire economic landscape. Schools and businesses closed, and kids and many employees found themselves learning and working remotely and, for the most part, confined to their homes. Unfortunately, the pandemic and economic crises aren’t the only bad news this year. Drownings also increased this year.

Unintentional drowning is a major cause of death among children one to four years old, surpassed only by birth defects. For children under five years of age, 87 percent drowning fatalities take place in home pools or hot tubs.

As early as May 2020, Florida and Texas—the top two states for child drownings in pools and spas—were already reporting higher numbers than last year. Drowning deaths also tripled in Arizona in 2020.

The isolation, disruptions to regular routines and tension parents are dealing with, coupled with the added burdens and anxieties of a global pandemic, understandably cause distractions. Add to that bored kids, the closures of public and community pools and no access to swim lessons and water safety programming, and it’s a recipe for chaos.

Regardless of how we try to convince ourselves that we can multitask, the reality is that we can’t. Parents can’t supervise when they’re in a Zoom meeting for work or rushing to finish a report on a deadline. They can’t provide undivided attention when they’re on their phones. And that can have catastrophic consequences when kids have access to water.

Because many community pools are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, families rely more on backyard pools. Those without backyard pools are heading to other water bodies, such as rivers and lakes, which have also reported higher drowning incidents.

Many people mistakenly think they would be able to hear if something was wrong with their child, but drowning is, in fact, often silent and very quick. Whether it’s a trip to the beach or a dip in the backyard pool, now more than ever, you can ensure that swimming is as safe as it is fun by following a few essential safety tips starting with keeping your eyes on your kids at all times.

Give kids your undivided attention.

Actively supervise children in and around water, without distraction and implement layers of protection to protect your family.

Use the Water Watcher strategy.

Create a schedule when multiple adults are present, and children are swimming that designates an adult as the water watcher. That person is on duty for a certain amount of time (such as 15-minute periods) to prevent lapses in supervision and give parents a chance to read, make phone calls or take a bathroom break.

Create barriers between your child(ren) and the water.

Whether you’re swimming in a backyard or at a community pool, make sure that you prevent children from gaining unexpected access to water. At the very least, following these steps:

All windows and doors that lead to water should be closed, locked and alarmed (if possible) at all times

Install self-closing and self-latching gates, that are at least four-feet high and non-climbable

Inflatable/kiddie pools should be emptied after each use and placed upside down or hung up out of a child’s reach

Wear life jackets when in and around open water.

Wear correctly fitted Coast Guard-approved life jackets. Dollar store floaties are not Coast Guard-approved. They often do more harm than good by giving parents a false sense of security that can lead to lapses in attention.

Know CPR.

If a drowning event occurs, bystander CPR increases the likelihood that a child will survive and reduces the possibility of long-term effects. Before heading to a pool or local lake or beach, identify which adults know CPR and review steps.

Teach Your Child to Swim.

One of the best ways to keep a child safer in and around the water is to ensure they are water confidant. The CDC reports that learning to swim can reduce the risk of drowning by 88%.

Learning to swim should be a top priority in order to help reduce the risk of drowning. The AAP recommends enrolling in swim lesson as early as a year old.

Together, we can end drowning! Take our Water Safety Challenge to measure your family’s water safety competence and to help us provide water safety outreach to schools and community groups to keep kids safe.

Rules for Backyard Pools

If you’re fortunate enough to have a backyard pool it can provide hours of fun for the whole family. But all that great fun can come to a sudden halt if there’s a drowning accident. And, when most people are staying close to home due to stay at home orders to stem the spread of COVID-19, a backyard pool may be an especially welcomed opportunity for active entertainment, putting a few rules in place you can protect your family. If we’re lucky enough to get a handle of the virus and are able to welcome visitors, make sure they know and follow the rules too. 

Start with making sure any kids who are using your pool learn the following five basic water survival skills. All kids should be able to:

1. Step or jump into water over their heads and return to the surface

2. Float or tread water for one minute; 

3. Turn around in a full circle and find an exit;

4. Swim 25 yards to exit the water; and

5. Exit the water. If in a pool, be able to exit without using the ladder

No kids allowed in the pool without adult supervision.

Even if kids can swim, accidents can happen. 

Walk, don’t run.

Wet feet can easily slip when running.

Don’t dive into shallow water. 

Enter the water feet first. Dive only off the diving board. 

No rowdy play in the pool.

No rough games involving dunking, holding your breath for any extended period, or lifting and throwing others into the air. 

No glass containers.

Beverage glasses can easily break on the pool deck or pool walls. Instead use outdoor-friendly options like acrylic tumblers or paper, plastic, or foam cups, or drink from a can.

No alcohol or medications.

Alcohol and some medications can impair your ability to swim and affect other motor skills, as well as breathing and orientation.

Don’t Leave Without Saying Good-Bye

Always tell an adult if you’re leaving so they’ll always know who is still in the pool.

As the host, it’s up to you to do things that can ensure the safety of everyone. Not only should you enforce the rules, but you should also adhere to some of your own.

Insist on adult supervision at all times.

First and foremost, children should always be supervised by an adult. Vigilance is the single most important factor in preventing drowning. Adults should practice arm-length direct “touch supervision” for infants and toddlers even if they can swim. While there are many ways to make your swimming pool safe, there is no substitute for supervision!

Put your phone and other distractions away.

Children can silently slip beneath the surface and drown in seconds—the time it takes to post on Instagram. You don’t need to leave your phone at home—in fact, you should keep it fully charged and within reach so you can call for help in case of an emergency. However, silence it and stow it in your bag. Then push your friends to do the same. And if you absolutely, positively must send an urgent email or make a call, find a responsible adult to stand in while you step away.

Know CPR and have an emergency plan in place.

Knowing even basic CPR and acting immediately—instead of waiting for emergency responders—can make the difference between life and death in drowning cases or anytime a person’s heart stops. Many organizations such as the American Red Cross, fire departments and hospitals offer CPR certification courses. Consider hanging an all-weather sign with CPR instructions to hang on the inside of your pool gate and be sure to print your home’s address on it in permanent marker in case anyone needs to call an ambulance. Even if a child doesn’t need CPR after being submerged, having water in his or her lungs can still lead to serious trouble. 

Have rescue equipment and a first aid kit nearby.

Make sure you have life-saving tools (life ring, rescue tube or life hook), a first aid kit and a phone nearby. Store the rescue equipment near the pool in a clearly marked and accessible area, and periodically check to make sure it’s in good condition.

Install a fence.

Install a fence that separates the pool area from the house and yard and self-closing and self-latching gates. There isn’t a federal pool-fence law, but several cities and states have enacted their own laws that spell out fence requirements, such as minimum fence height and other specifications. Some experts say the taller the better to ensure that children can’t use things to climb fences.

Install alarms. 

Use an alarm on the house door that leads to the pool area, a floating pool alarm or a below-water alarm. Keep in mind that an alarm isn’t a substitute for appropriate fencing and supervision. 

Remove toys from the pool. 

Don’t leave pool toys in the water. Curious children can easily fall into the water while trying to retrieve a toy.

By establishing rules and taking precautions, you can keep everyone safe and ensure they enjoy their time at the pool. Your donation can help teach children water safety to stop drowning death and injur

The Water Safety Conversation Every Parent Should

The thought of a child drowning is terrifying. Unfortunately, that may be one of the reasons most of us don’t spend a lot of time thinking or talking about it. As much as we want to avoid talking about uncomfortable topics with our kids, the reality is that drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children of all ages! Another reality is that most drownings are avoidable. Talking with your kids about water safety isn’t an option. But, how do you actually have these hard conversations? And where do you start? Here are some tips:

Be Truthful About the Danger

It can be tempting to sugarcoat serious issues or skirt around them because you don’t want your kids to be alarmed. While you don’t want to unnecessarily scare your children or give them nightmares, it’s important to be honest about the dangers that water can represent. Aim to be truthful, while tailoring the conversation to be age-appropriate.

One idea is to speak with them using facts, rather than sharing emotionally-charged stories that might affect them in a negative way. Convey the dangers of drowning and near drowning, along with the most common places it happens (residential swimming pools and open water sites). Let them know how quickly it can happen, and that even if they’re a strong swimmer, they could still slip near a pool, bump their head and be in danger, which is why they must always have an adult present.

Share Your Family’s Rules

There are some common water safety rules that everyone should follow, and it’s important for each family to discuss these as well as any additional rules you’ve established. For example, only swimming when an adult is present is a rule everyone should follow. But if you have a pool in your backyard (even a fenced one), you might also have a household rule that the kids can’t play in the backyard without an adult present. Keep your rules short and memorable so kids can retain and recall them, and to talk about them before a trip to the pool or any body of water. For instance, if your child is preparing to attend a friend’s birthday party at a water park, remind them of your water safety rules and also let them know about safety tips specific to a water park that they should know. Kids can get caught up in the fun and forget safety guidelines, so make sure you talk about them often, so they become second-nature.

Get Started in Swim Class

As a parent, it’s imperative to remember that there’s no substitute for active adult supervision of your kids around water, even when it comes to the bath or anywhere with as little as an inch of water. But an important line of defense for your children is having the ability to swim on their own. If your kids are not already enrolled in swim class, there’s no better time than the present to get them started. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most children age four and older can learn to swim. Children ages one to four might be able to learn depending on their physical and emotional development. Several organizations, such as the American Red Cross, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs and municipal and neighborhood pools provide low-cost and even free swimming lessons.

It’s never fun to talk about scary things, like drowning, with your children, but it’s crucial that they understand the risks that come with being around water. Sharing the potential dangers, reinforcing your family’s water safety rules and expectations and getting them in swim class is the best way to keep them safe.

We can end drowning! Take our Water Safety Challenge to measure your family’s water safety competence and help us provide water safety outreach to schools and community groups to keep kids safe.

How to Make Your Backyard Pool Safe

A backyard swimming pool can be an incredible way to relax, entertain and even exercise. Large or small, inground or above-ground, a swimming pool can provide hours of fun. But pools can also pose a danger, especially to young children, and that danger can happen in a matter of seconds.

The statistics are sobering—drowning kills more young children one to four years old than anything else except birth defects and 75 percent of drowning deaths of children younger than 15 occurred at a swimming pool located at a private residence. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points to drowning as a leading cause of unintentional death among children one–14 years of age.

But headlines reporting those drowning aren’t just statistics; they’re about real people. Backyard pool drowning accidents can happen to anyone. From friends and neighbors to celebrities like Olympic skier, Bode Miller and his wife, whose 18-month old daughter Emiline drowned and country singer, Granger Smith and his wife, whose three-year old son, River died from drowning.

The good news is that you can take steps to make your swimming pool safe and protect children from drowning.

First and foremost, children should always be supervised by an adult. Vigilance is the single most important factor in preventing drowning. Adults should practice arm-length direct “touch supervision” for infants and toddlers even if they can swim. While there are many ways to make your swimming pool safe, there is no substitute for supervision!

While none of the following precautions replace adult supervision, they can help save lives:

● Fence a pool in. Install a fence that separates the pool area from the house and yard and self-closing and self-latching gates. There isn’t a federal pool-fence law, but several cities and states have enacted their own laws that spell out fence requirements, such as minimum fence height and other specifications. Some experts say the taller the better to ensure that children can’t use things to climb fences.

● Install alarms. Use an alarm on the house door that leads to the pool area, a floating pool alarm or a below-water alarm. Keep in mind that an alarm isn’t a substitute for appropriate fencing and supervision.

● Block pool and hot tub access. Secure covers on pools and hot tubs when they are not in use.

● Remove toys from the pool. Don’t leave pool toys in the water. Curious children can easily fall into the water while trying to retrieve a toy.

● Keep children away from drains. Body parts and hair can become entrapped by the strong suction.

● Have rescue equipment and a first aid kit nearby. Make sure you have a life-saving tools (life ring, rescue tube or life hook), a first aid kit and a phone nearby. Store the rescue equipment near the pool in a clearly marked and accessible area, and periodically check to make sure it’s in good condition.

● Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). All adults should be trained in CPR. Many organizations such as the American Red Cross, fire departments and hospitals offer CPR certification courses.

● Teach children to swim. Knowing how to swim doesn’t necessarily prevent drowning and isn’t a substitute for adult supervision but teaching children to swim is always a good idea.

● Set pool rules. Educate everyone using your pool on what pool conduct is and is not acceptable. You might even create a list of “official” pool rules that includes these basic instructions:

DON’T RUN ON THE POOL DECK
DON’T DIVE INTO SHALLOW WATER
DON’T PUSH ANYONE INTO THE POOL
DON’T SWIM WITHOUT AN ADULT PRESENT
DON’T DUNK OR HOLD ANYONE UNDERWATER

Taking precautions and installing state-of-the-art safety equipment is a great start and a good addition to any water safety plan, but remember, constant supervision is the single most important way to prevent drowning. Your donation can help teach children water safety to stop drowning death and injury.

Swimming Lessons and Water Safety Best Practices

Death and injury from drowning happen every day in pools; natural bodies of water; toilets; bathtubs; and even buckets. The statistics are staggering: ten people drown every day for a total of 3,400 each year. It’s a leading cause of accidental death among children of all ages and the single leading cause of injury-related death among children ages one to four.

Drowning can happen almost anywhere to anyone as several families learned in October of this year after heart-wrenching tragedies struck. Four children drowned over a three-week period in Florida. Two drowned at backyard pool parties; another slipped through a sliding glass door that was left open; and one involved a young boy with Autism who wandered into a neighbor’s pool. Parents in Jackson, Mississippi mourned the bathtub drowning death of their eight-month old daughter and a family in Michigan grieved for their seven-year old son who drowned while trying to catch frogs in a family pond.

Although swimming lessons don’t necessarily prevent drowning and are not a substitute for adult supervision, it’s important to teach children to swim. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most children age four and older can learn to swim. Children ages one to four might be able to learn depending on their physical and emotional development. Several organizations, such as the American Red Cross, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs and municipal and neighborhood pools provide low-cost and even free swimming lessons.

The key to preventing these heartbreaking disasters is education and knowledge. Instill a culture of water safety by following these best practices.

Supervise.

Never leave children unsupervised near a body of water, including a bath. The families of drowned children know that it can happen in a matter of seconds. If children are near water, you should never presume that someone else is supervising them. Children under age four should be supervised at arm’s length, even if they can swim. Don’t rely on air-filled or foam toys, such as water wings, noodles or inner tubes, to keep children safe.

Learn CPR.

All parents and childcare providers should learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Many organizations such as the American Red Cross, fire departments and hospitals offer CPR certification courses.

Avoid alcohol.

on’t drink alcohol when you are boating, swimming or supervising children who are swimming or playing in water.

Fence in home pools and add alarms.

Install a fence at least four feet (1.2 meters) tall that separates the pool area from the house and yard. Install self-closing and self-latching gates that open away from the pool and alarms that sound an alert when someone enters the pool.

Stay in designated areas.

At public beaches, swim only in areas set aside for swimming. Pay attention to posted warnings about unsafe swimming conditions. Don’t allow children to swim in drainage ditches, abandoned surface mines or other water-filled areas not intended for swimming.

Watch out for thin ice.

Drowning can occur in cold weather, too. Avoid walking, skating or riding on weak or thawing ice. Pay attention to posted warnings regarding ice safety and consult a local department of recreation for current ice conditions.

Keep bathroom doors closed.

Install a safety latch or door-knob cover on the outside of the door.

Store buckets and containers safely.

Immediately empty buckets and other containers after use. Don’t leave them outside where they might accumulate water.

Help us eliminate drowning and save lives so no families suffer. Your donation can help keep more kids safe. Together, we can have a future where no one drowns.