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 Too
often, firefighters hear people say, “it was just a few
seconds.” Unfortunately, just a few seconds is all it takes
for a child to drown. Drowning is a leading cause of death
for children under the age of five.
Most
of these children drown in their own backyard swimming pool, but
others drown in buckets, bathtubs, toilets, dog water bowls,
canals and ponds. Small children are top-heavy, and they don't
have the upper body strength to lift themselves out of one of
these dangerous situations. Even if the child survives the
incident, they are often left with permanent brain damage.
Drowning
and near drowning can be prevented, and you can help! Anyone
involved with the supervision of children needs to be aware of
the dangers associated with any body of water. Below are some
useful tips to prevent these needless tragedies.
- Know where your children are at all times
- Use an approved barrier to separate the pool from the
house
- Never allow children to be alone near a pool or any water
source
- Have life-saving devices near the pool, such as a
pole/hook, or flotation device
- Keep large objects such as tables, chairs, toys, and
ladders away from pool fences
- Post the 9-1-1 number
on the phone
- Do not allow children to play around the pool and store
all toys outside the pool area
- If you leave the pool area, take the children with you
- Always have a “designated child watcher”
- Learn to swim.
- Never swim alone, or while under the influence of alcohol
or medications
- Never swim when thunder or lightning is present
- Never dive into unfamiliar or shallow bodies of water
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