Water Safety

Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death in U.S. children ages 1 to 4 years. Many kids are drawn to the water and only think of the fun of jumping into a pool, lake or into the ocean. Caregivers should be aware of the dangers around the water for kids of all ages.

Water Safety Tips

What you can do:

Use child proof door knob covers and toilet locks to keep young children out of the bathroom while unsupervised.
Empty buckets, inflatable pools, and bathtubs immediately after using them.
Wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket while boating.
Enroll children in swim lessons from an early age to learn water safety skills.
If you have a pool, install a fence that is at least 4 feet tall and surrounds the pool on all four sides; use self-closing and self-latching gates to keep young children from entering the pool area unattended.

Importance of Water Safety

AROUND THE HOME:

Empty bathtubs, buckets and collapsible swimming pools of water when they are no longer being used. Drowning can happen in even a few inches of water, and toddlers have a disproportionately large head, which makes it harder for children to get back up when they fall into water.

Never leave an infant or toddler in a bathroom by themselves.

AT THE POOL:

Remove all toys from the water after each use as they can entice children to get into the water when they aren’t being monitored. For children < 5 yo, parents should be in an arm’s reach of their child when in the pool. Children between age 1-3 years old are at the highest risk of drowning and most of them (69%) drown at a time they were not supposed to be in the water.

Putting multiple barriers between children and access of water is the best strategy to avoid drowning. Four-sided pool fencing with self-closing and self-latching gates has been proven to be one of the most important protections for kids against drowning. Children benefit from swim lessons starting between age 18 months and 4 years old. Until they become water competent, children should wear a US Coast Guard-approved flotation device when around the pool.

AT THE LAKE/RIVER/OCEAN:

Children as well as adults should wear US Coast Guard-approved flotation devices throughout the entire time children are near the body of water.

All adults should know how to provide CPR.

Swim lessons cannot “drown-proof ” your child. Nobody should swim alone. One adult should be a “water watcher” in charge of watching the water whenever children are near the water and should have no distractions during this time (no talking with other adults, no cell phone, no alcohol).