Drowning Prevention Is a Family Event

As the weather warms up, our minds will drift to fun family times outside at pools and the beach. Water safety is important for everyone in the family. While most close calls in the water are scary but ultimately fine, unfortunately some do not end as well. Learning about drowning prevention and emergency care in case of an accident is a must before planning water activities. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is the most common cause of death due to injury for kids 1 to 4 years old. Drowning can cause a range of symptoms from coughing and difficulty breathing, to death.

Some groups have a higher risk of drowning. These include toddlers, male adolescents, and kids with certain underlying medical conditions like epilepsy, autism, and abnormal heart rhythms. We also know that Black, American Indian, and Alaskan Native children are at higher risks as well. There are about 4,000 drownings that lead to death per year, which is about 11 deaths per day. This does not include the additional 8,000 nonfatal drownings per year.

Drowning prevention is a family event; having simple conversations about water safety is important for everyone! This includes grandparents, babysitters, friends, and anyone spending time with your children around water. Here are five ways to help your family be safer in and around the water:

1. Get water smart: Never leave kids unsupervised around water. Choose safer places to swim, such as those with lifeguards on duty. If your family will be boating, remember to wear life jackets anytime out on open water, even if you can swim. This includes adults! Model safe behaviors for children and teens by making smart decisions when YOU are around water.
2. Have a designated watcher: For any event around water, there should be a person whose sole responsibility is watching those in the water. If there’s a large event or the family will be out for more than a half hour, have different adults rotate as the water watcher, but everyone should know whose responsibility it is at a given time. One study showed that half of child drownings happened in the afternoon between 4 to 6 p.m., which is a busy time but also when adults might be making dinner. Do not rely solely on a pool or beach lifeguard to be able to monitor all swimmers at one time.
3. Swim lessons: Lessons help families learn basic water safety, including basic swim and floating skills. Often local parks and recreation departments are a great resource for swim lessons, which are sometimes free for families. Learning to swim is a life-long skill and best when taught young.
4. Tips for home: One of the best drowning prevention measures for backyard pools is having a locked, 4-sided fence around it – many states and communities require this by law. But remember that events can even occur in shallow water like bathtubs and portable or inflatable pools, so kids should never be more than an arm’s length away from an adult in a bath or backyard pool of any kind. Make sure to empty buckets, tubs, and wading pools after use. Also, having latches on toilets helps to keep toddlers safer. Parents of teenagers should have frequent conversations about being safe around water.
5. CPR training: Performing CPR immediately after a drowning occurs might help save someone’s life, so getting trained by local groups, such as American Red Cross or fire departments, can be a life saver!