Summertime is fun-time, and with it comes moments of celebration that can often take place around beaches, pools, ponds, rivers and oceans. All locations offer endless opportunity for waterplay. While having a good time is at the forefront of revellers’ minds, safety is paramount when it comes to keeping children protected around water. Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death in young children, and it’s always preventable.
What can you do to stay safe? Canada’s Red Cross has these top 5 recommendations to follow while you splash.
1) Always Watch Your Kids, Even If They Can Swim
No matter where you find your group, be it the pool, the beach or even in the bathtub, always have an adult on-hand watching the kids. This applies even if they’re strong swimmers. Expect the unexpected.
2) Non-Swimmers Should Always Wear Life Jackets, Even on Land
If your child can’t swim, don’t let them in the water unassisted. When they do go in, or when they’re hanging out near the water on a boat, at the beach or pool side, put them in a life jacket. It only takes a moment to do. But it also only takes a second to fall in, and a few more to drown. Protect them.
3) Empty the Kiddie Pool
Empty the water right away from your backyard wading pool. A person can drown in a few inches of water, it doesn’t take much.
4) Stay By the Bathtub
Is your phone ringing in the other room? Let the caller leave a message, or call back later. It can wait. Infants and toddlers drown in bathtubs each year. Don’t rely on other children, even responsible ones, to watch younger kids in the tub or pool. It takes a pair adult eyes to stay safe.
5) Never Underestimate the Current
The heading says it all. In and around open water even seasoned swimmers can be caught unawares and struggle to keep above water. Stay out if you’re unsure, and watch those who are swimming, while paying attention to warning signs nearby.
Happy summer, and stay safe.
