With summer fast approaching, it’s that time of year again when children are at a significantly higher risk of drowning as they spend more time enjoying the water to recreate and cool off on hot summer days.
With both pool owners and professionals working together to spread the message about the importance of water safety and water safety measures, and with organizations such as the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA) sharing resources, we can work together to help ensure a safe and enjoyable water experience.
According to NDPA, which works to prevent childhood drowning through awareness and advocacy, the first step is dispelling five common drowning myths: 1. If a child is in distress in the water, they will be heard and there will be time to save them.
2. Watching a child during swimtime ensures their safety.
3. Having an adult present will keep a child safe.
4. Knowing how to swim means a child is water competent.
5. “It can’t happen to me.”
So long as there is a water source accessible to a child, whether it is a pool, lake, beach, or bathtub, the risk of drowning is ever present.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ranks drowning as the leading cause of death among children aged 1-4. Unlike in the movies, it can occur quickly and silently.
In fact, close to 70% of drowning incidents involving young children occur during non-swimming times when a little one finds their way to a pool or open water undetected.
We also know that in most cases, drowning is accidental and can be prevented.
However no one water safety practice is fail-safe, which is why NDPA advocates strongly for the implementation of multiple layers of protection to prevent tragedies and save lives.
NDPA & The Water Safety Community making an impact
As part of its year-round education and advocacy efforts, NDPA works with the its partners in the pool industry to prevent the tragedy of drowning by helping to spread the word on the importance of the Five Layers of Protection: 1. Barriers and Alarms: The installation of proper fencing and barriers limit a child’s access to pools and other water bodies.
2. Constant, Close and Capable Adult Supervision: A water watcher should be designated any time children are around a pool or open water.
3. Water Competency: More than half (54%) of children aged 4-17 in the United States are unable to perform basic water safety skills. Participation by children aged 1-4 in formal swimming lessons that include water competency survival skills significantly reduces the risk of drowning. Water competency skills include learning how to “flip and float” for infants and toddlers and how to swim parallel to shore to escape a rip current for older kids and teens.
4. Life Jackets: Ensure children wear appropriate life jackets when participating in open-water activities.
5. Emergency Preparedness: Learn CPR with rescue breaths and always have ready access to a phone to call 911.
This summer, NDPA is reaching parents and caregivers with a new shareable public service video that reinforces the importance of the Five Layers of Protection and water competency as a #firstsport.
To share NDPA’s #FirstSport video visit @drownalliance on Instagram. NDPA also provides free-to-download toolkits with preproduced materials and resources; honors those actively working to protect children from drowning through its #WaterSafetyChampion campaign; and hosts the annual Water Safety Conference which brings industry professionals, and parent advocacy groups together to listen, learn and work as an alliance to prevent drowning.
To learn more or nominate a colleague for #WaterSafetyChampion, visit ndpa.org. To download NDPA’s Water Safety Season Toolkit, visit ndpa.org/toolkit.
What We Know
