Water recreation can provide enjoyment and exercise for children, but water and children can also be a deadly mix when an unsafe environment, inadequate supervision, or improperly used safety gear is present. Drowning remains the second leading cause of injury-related deaths among children ages 1 to 14. Children should never be left alone while in or around water even if he/she knows how to swim or the water isn’t very deep.
Safety Tips
In the bathroom
- Keep the doors to bathrooms and the laundry room closed especially if you have toddlers.
- Never leave a child alone in the bathtub.
- Keep toilet lids shut and use toilet locks if you have small children.
In the pool or around a body of water
- Do not allow children to swim without adult supervision.
- Enroll your child in swimming lessons and teach your child how to tread water and float.
- Install four-sided fencing, at least five feet high, equipped with self-closing and self-latching gates, around a home pool, hot tub, or spa.
- Learn CPR
- Keep a telephone and emergency numbers poolside.
In open water
- Children should always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket around oceans, rivers, or lakes when participating in water sports.
- Teach children to swim near shore or the boat.
Content Sources Kids Health.org- Water Safety and Safe Kids – Drowning Prevention