These tragedies must be prevented. A child's life must not be cut short due to the carelessness of caregivers. There are many steps to prevent this from happening. It all starts with being aware. Always have a "water watcher" or an adult supervising children swimming. Parents and caregivers should learn CPR, and always have a phone nearby incase of an emergency situation.
Teach children how to swim at an early age, so it becomes nearly instinctual. Make water safety rules. For example, not allowing children to be at the pool alone, not allowing them into the deep end, and staying away from drains, pipes, etc. If the pool is inflatable, drain it immediately after use, just to be sure. If the pool is below ground, put up a minimum of a four foot fence surrounding the pool, with self-latching and self-locking doors. Keep floatation devices near the pool at all times, as well as long reaching device.
It is important to be able to recognize the signs of drowning. Here are some warning signs:
- Head tilted back with mouth open
- Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
- Not using legs - vertical
- Appear to be climbing invisible ladder
- Hair over forehead or eyes
Drowning happens swiftly and silently. It is imperative to have many layers of prevention, and then some. This issue has become very relevant, very fast. There are plenty of precautions that can be taken to reduce the amount of child drowning fatalities. There is nothing worse than the loss of an innocent child. Be aware, and stay safe.
Sources: www.floridaealth.gov, www.healthychildren.org, www.drowningpreventionfoundation.com/water-safety-tips/
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