Raising Awareness: Water Safety and Drowning Prevention

Summer can and should be the most fun ever. But there are those hidden dangers, such as sunburn (ouch!) and the pools, rivers and lakes that families like to frequent in the warm-weather months of the summer.

Most parents know the dangers of the water. I’ve even enrolled my daughter in a parent/child swim class to start teaching her respect for the water and, eventually, how to swim. But an article I read recently made my blood run cold. It said that drowning doesn’t actually look like the drowning we think we know—it’s not the splashing, flailing, crying for help or obvious distress you see in the movies. It’s often silent. And what scared me the most? That, according to the article, of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. In 10 percent of those drownings, the adult will actually watch them do it, having no idea it is happening.

If you and your kiddos spend any time in the water, this article is a must-read, as it details signs of drowning and what to watch for when you’re in the water or supervising others in the water. Remember, teaching a child to swim is no substitute for parental supervision at all times when a child of any age is in or near water.

Happy and safe swimming, water bugs! —Erin