Drowning is a shockingly common cause of death among young children. The good news about drowning is that there are many ways it can be prevented, and many of these techniques are simple or easy to do. Here are three tips to prevent drowning.
Keep the Pool Covered When Not in Use
When the pool isn’t in use, it should have a firm cover over it. This is true even during the pool season and not just during the cooler weather. The cover must reliably cover the entire pool and should be rigid enough to not hold standing water or collapse if a weight is put on it. Clearly, if a strong cover is put on a pool, it will prevent children from tumbling into the water and drowning.
Learn CPR
Learning CPR is a good idea even if the homeowner doesn’t have a pool. CPR is a type of first aid that allows a person to breathe for another until medical professionals can arrive and take over the patient’s care. However, CPR must be done the correct way to avoid injury to the drowning victim, and CPR is different for adults than it is for young children. Hospitals, fire departments and the American Red Cross may provide CPR certification courses that include lifesaving training for the event of a potential drowning.
Supervise Children at All Times
It only takes a few seconds for a child to disappear under the water and drown. Because of this, children in the swimming pool must be under the supervision of a sober adult at all times. If the adult needs to leave the poolside for some reason, they need to hand the task over to another adult until they come back. In the case of a baby or toddler, an adult should not only be in the pool with them but also always remain close enough that the child is easily within reach. It cannot be emphasized sufficiently that only a moment and a mouthful of water are enough to drown a baby.
These are just some of the ways that you can lower the risk of drowning. Children can be unpredictable, so it’s important to take proper precautions to make sure that they can be safe when they are in or around the pool. Whatever precautions you take, swimming on a hot summer’s day should be as safe as it is enjoyable.