by Samantha Wolfe
As the warmer weather approaches, keep water safety in mind! These guidelines are helpful when overseeing both children who know how to swim and those who can’t yet navigate the water safely and independently.
Environment
Be aware of your surroundings. By limiting access to water sources, you can help keep children safe.
- Close Doors: Prevent access to faucets, toilets, and other areas where water is easily accessible indoors.
- Done play? Put it away!: Buckets, bowls, and other toys that can be filled with water should be stored dry and upside down to prevent water collection. Drowning can occur in as little as one inch of water.
- Alarm systems – not just for the bad guys!: Make sure to stay aware of children’s whereabouts inside and out – hoses, pools, or neighboring houses might have open access to water you are unaware of.
- Have a pool? Put up a fence!: All pools, in-ground or above-ground, should have a child-proof fence surrounding it to prevent unsupervised swimmers from jumping in.
Supervision
Anything can happen in the blink of an eye – don’t be caught looking the other way!
Don’t just sit nearby. Pay attention.
We are all drawn to our devices, but they are not safe when your responsibility is to keep watch. The focus our screens demand takes our mind off of the situation at hand, which could mean a child getting lost under the water’s surface. And, by having headphones in your ears, you might not hear a child call for help.
Not all children can read the rules
Anyone supervising a child at the pool should be aware of the rules in place to keep patrons safe. These rules should be explained to a child upon entry to any body of water and enforced by their supervisor. A lifeguard’s job is to prevent and act in emergency situations, but they should not be expected to play babysitter.
Child can’t swim? You’re going in too!
Any inexperienced swimmer should have a guardian in the pool with them within arm’s reach. Older siblings or other surrounding swimmers should not be held responsible for keeping an eye on a child. A flotation device can help a child stay afloat but does not prevent accidents from occurring.
Guardian Preparedness
There is no feeling worse than not being able to help. Should an emergency occur, you must be prepared to act.
Learn CPR and First Aid – By learning lifesaving and first-aid skills, you will be equipped to handle most situations that could occur by a body of water. These certification courses also provide information on how to prevent situations from escalating into emergencies. If a serious incident does occur, sometimes Emergency Medical Services can be delayed in their response; in an emergency situation, every minute counts!
Don’t just pack sunscreen – When spending time by a body of water, make sure to have rescue equipment in the surrounding area. If there are lifeguards staffed, this equipment should already be on site. However, it is always a good idea to have a buoy or life-rope and a phone easily accessible to call for help.
Hanging by a pool? Know how to swim! – While not everyone is expected to be an Olympic-level athlete, general swimming skills should be in a guardian’s breadth of knowledge if given the responsibility of watching a child at the pool. Knowing how to float, tread water, and propel oneself to safety is essential to survival in any body of water.
Child Safety
Before bringing any child into a body of water, complete an honest assessment of their abilities. A child’s ability to swim will determine how far into the water they can go, or if they need any assistance from a flotation device or a supervisor.
Swimming is a lifesaving skill as well as a fun, inclusive, and competitive sport. It is recommended that the first skill any child learn in the water is floating. HAC offers both traditional swim lessons in a private or group lesson format and the infant swimming resource program.
What is your child going to wear at the pool today?
If a child is not yet competent as a swimmer enough to be independent, a personal flotation device (or PFD) should be used. HAC requires all flotation devices worn at our pools to be US Coast Guard approved; you can learn more and find a list of approved gear at https://cgmix.uscg.mil/Equipment/EquipmentSearch.aspx
