Summer is upon us. Temperatures are heating up this week and many people are spending their time in pools to beat the heat. Unfortunately, there is the dangerous side to summer and swimming pools.
Drowning incidents are on the rise, both locally and state-wide. Parents whose children have drowned say the day of the tragedy started out just like any other day. No matter how the drowning happened or where it happened—pool, spa or any other body of water—one thing was the same: The seconds that claimed their child’s life slid by silently, without warning. It happens just like that and can never be brought back.
Children drown without a sound. Drowning is a quiet event. There is no splashing, no screaming, and no noise at all. But drowning is preventable.
What can you do to prevent drowning incidents?
Follow the ABCs of water safety:
A = Adult supervision. Assign an adult “water watcher” to keep their eyes on the water at all times. Never swim alone!
B = Barriers such as fences, self-closing and self-latching gates, pool motion sensors, window and door alarms
C = Classes. Parents and caregivers should take CPR and first aid. Both children and adults should take swimming classes.
Visit: poolsafely.gov for more drown- ing prevention and safety tips.
As for the open water, when paddle boarding, ocean swimming and surfing, make sure you tell someone when you are leaving, when you are returning and where your destination is.