Keep Kids Safe Near Water This Summer

The weather is hot and the best way to enjoy the outdoors for the next few months is in the water. Whether you choose a pool or the Gulf, make sure you keep kids safe when they swim. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4. 

It should go without saying, but if you don’t know how to swim, don’t get in the water. Even if you only plan on staying in shallow water where you can stand, a moment of inattention or a rough wave can send you into deeper water. If kids can’t swim, don’t count on inflatable rafts, water wings, or pool noodles to keep them safe. Teach your kids to swim. WaterSmartFL offers vouchers for free swim lessons to qualifying kids, and your school or recreation center may be able to give you information about other free or reduced cost swim classes for kids. Even if you don’t take them swimming, kids should learn how to swim at an early age. You never know when they are going to enter a neighbor’s pool, pond, or other body of water. 

Never take your eyes off kids when they’re in the water or even near the water. In the time it takes to check your phone, make a drink, or talk to a friend, your child could drown. In 50 percent of child drownings, a parent is within 25 yards of them. In fact, 88 percent of child drownings happen with at least one adult there. Don’t assume someone else is watching the kids. It’s a good idea to designate a “water watcher” who does nothing but watch the children at all times.

Even if your plans don’t include swimming, keep kids close if there is any water in the vicinity. 70 percent of toddler drownings occur when it’s not a planned swim time, such as when a child accesses a pool on their own, unsupervised. By law, residential pools in Florida must have approved safety barriers, with a self-closing and self-latching door, so make sure your own pool is in compliance. Encourage neighbors with pools to do the same, even if they don’t have children.

Drowning can happen in a matter of seconds, and it doesn’t look like you might think. A drowning person usually can’t shout for help or splash to attract attention. On the contrary, drowning is usually silent. The person in distress will often have their head tilted back, body in a vertical position, with their mouth open near the water level. If the worst should happen and a child goes under and stops breathing, getting them out of the water, calling 911, and quickly and starting CPR can save their life. Make sure you learn CPR for adults, children, and infants.

If kids are on a boat, they need to wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) and it needs to be the right size for them. All kids under six years old have to wear a PFD whenever they are on a boat 26 feet long or less that is underway. Both kids and adults need to wear a PFD when they are on a personal watercraft, or being towed behind a boat. Only use Coast Guards approved PFDs that are appropriate for your activity. 

Have fun in the water this summer, but remember to stay safe.