What you Need to Know about Water Safety

Swim team season is just around the corner and summer vacations to the beach or lake will soon follow. With the fun of water activities comes the need to remain vigilant about water safety for the whole family.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “every day, about ten people die from unintentional drowning. Of these, two are children aged 14 or younger. Drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional injury death in the United States.”  For children ages 1- to 4-years old, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death.

In the blink of an eye, everything can change.  Whether it is a child who falls in to a pool or an adult caught in a riptide, knowing what to do immediately can be the difference between life and death.

Layers of Prevention

The American Red Cross has a number of suggestions to create barriers to water accidents.  These include:

• First and foremost supervision of children and weak swimmers around water sources. Whether it is a swim party or just a day at the park that has a pond, tragedy can happen in seconds. Especially when there are many adults around, it is easy to feel secure that someone is paying close attention. Don’t assume; keep a close watch yourself.
• Physical barriers are needed. A fence or other barrier between the house and a pool or hot tub prevent a child from accessing the water when they shouldn’t.
• Life jackets are a must. Children and even weak swimmers who are older should wear life jackets especially in deep or open water.  All boaters should wear a life jacket.
• Establish water competency for the whole family. The American Red Cross recommends the following basic swimming skills: ability to enter deep water and return to the surface; float or tread water for one minute; turn over and turn around in the water; swim 25 yards; exit the water.
• Never swim alone.  Lifeguarded swimming spots are the optimal choice. When this isn’t an option, always have a watcher.  Rip tides, cramps or a host of other issues can surprise even the strongest of swimmers.
• Refrain from alcohol use when in the water or supervising children in the water.
• Observe warning flags at beaches and understand the water and wind conditions before going in the water.
• Steer clear of docks or piers where rip tides often form.
• Learn CPR.

What to do in a Water Emergency

What to do when you find yourself in water danger or if you see someone else in danger can vary depending on what the problem is.

• If you are caught in a rip current, try to stay calm. Don’t over exert yourself trying to fight against the current. Instead, swim (or float or tread water) parallel to the shore to get yourself out of the rip current.  Once out, swim to shore if possible, or if not, wave and yell to get the attention of help.
• Sometimes it might not be obvious someone is in trouble. We expect them to yell and thrash but this is not the case. Look for these signs of drowning: they are not moving forward; they are vertical but cannot move or tread water; their head is back with their mouth open or their mouth is below the surface; they are motionless or face down; they are gasping; their eyes are closed or glassy.
• Alert a lifeguard if you see someone in trouble.
• Throw them a flotation device or rope to hold on to. This could be an inflatable ball, a life jacket or even a pool noodle.
• If you can safely attempt a rescue, be cautious of them pulling you down as well. Approach from behind when possible and ideally wear a life jacket to prevent being submerged yourself.
• When safely on dry land, perform CPR.
• Always call for EMS. Of those who survive a near-drowning, 50% require further hospitalization.

Spread the Word

A couple who lost their 19 month old daughter to a drowning in the neighbor’s pool have made it their mission to share their story to help prevent more drowning deaths. As they remarked, in all the visits to the pediatrician to talk about their children’s health and welfare, water safety had never come up. They didn’t get flyers from the school or see posts on social media or reminders on the news.  As the leading cause of accidental death in children ages 1-4, they felt it should have been shouted from the rooftops – before a tragedy occurred. Remind your friends and family about the dangers, prevention, what drowning looks like and what to do in a water emergency!

Image by Jan Haerer from Pixabay