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With school out for the summer and temperatures rising across the country, many families will visit the beach, lake or local swimming pool. Now is the time to review safety tips to keep children safe around water.<\/p>\n
Drowning is the leading cause of death<\/a>\u00a0for children ages 1 to 4 and the second leading cause of unintentional death for children in the 5 to 14 age group, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<\/p>\n In the United States, 973 children under the age of 19 drowned in 2021, and another 6,500 were treated in emergency rooms following near drowning incidents, according to Gary Karton of Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit organization working to prevent childhood injury.<\/p>\n In fact, more drownings occur in the summer, and specifically in July, than any other time of the year, according to the Children\u2019s Hospital of Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n Palm Beach County Ocean Rescue lifeguard Daniel Barnickel said there always should be an adult monitoring the water.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a whole, never swim alone,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Taking the time to go over safety procedures and rules before heading to the pool or beach can benefit children and their parents.<\/p>\n The most important safety feature of a backyard swimming pool is a barrier, such as a safety fence, to prevent unsupervised access to the water.<\/p>\n Many children who drowned at home did so during times they were not expected to be in the water, according to the\u00a0American Red Cross<\/a>. In some cases, children were out of sight for less than five minutes and in the care of one or both parents when they slipped into the pool and drowned, the agency said.<\/p>\n That said, it is vital to make sure children learn to swim. There are many programs that teach children to swim, including Red Cross swimming courses across the U.S.<\/p>\n If a child goes missing, remember that seconds count. Check the water first, safety experts advise. It\u2019s also important to have appropriate equipment available at home. This includes something to throw into the water for a child to grab onto, a cell phone to call for help, life jackets and a first aid kit.<\/p>\n All children should learn to step or jump into water that\u2019s above their head and safely return to the surface and also be able to float or tread water, according to Safe Kids Worldwide.<\/p>\n They should also be able to quickly turn around in the water and find a safe place, combine breathing with moving forward in the water and get out of the water.<\/p>\n If several adults are at the pool, beach or lake with a group of children, choose a water watcher who can have eyes on the children at all times. It\u2019s a great idea to rotate the water watcher among the adults for brief amounts of time, such as 15-minute intervals, experts at Safe Kids Worldwide recommend.<\/p>\n While at the pool or around water, it\u2019s advisable to avoid distractions. Put away phones, books and magazines, because drowning is often silent and can happen in less than five minutes.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re finished swimming, make sure to remove all floats and pool toys so young children won\u2019t be enticed to reach for them.<\/p>\n Teach children to stay away from pool drains or suction devices, which can entrap swimmers\u2019 hair or limbs.<\/p>\nIf you have a backyard pool<\/h2>\n
Skills children should learn to prevent drowning<\/h2>\n
Create a safe environment<\/h2>\n