Published:
03/19/2014 10:44am
Key Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe in the Water
Key Tips On How to Keep Your Kids Safe In the Water
Outdoor Water Safety:
Now that summer is here, it's hot outside, and the water looks oh so cool and inviting, . . . it is a great time to take a plunge.
Whether you and your kids venture into the ocean, a pool, lake, or pond, there are certain guidelines you should follow to keep your children safe. Much of this may seem like common sense, but almost 1,000 children drown each year, which suggests that at least some parents do not practice water safety.
GENERAL:
Remember that you are responsible for your kids' safety at all times near any water source deeper than two inches. Yes, two inches, which is deep enough for toddler or infant to drown in.
You, or a trusted adult, should monitor any children that are near water at all times.
Learn how to swim, if you do not know already, and have any child over 4 years old learn too. It is also best to stay within arm’s reach of any child who is a weak or inexperienced swimmer.
Obtain Coast Guard-approved flotation devices that are the correct size for your kids, particularly if they are 5 or under. It is also best to use ones that will keep them vertical in the water should they fall in. DO NOT RELY ON water wings or other inflatable flotation devices to protect your kids from drowning.
Please do not rely solely on lifeguards to keep your kids safe. Lifeguards are often young, immature, and may be distracted. Plus, they may have a large area and many people to watch over, which could cause them to miss a child in distress. In short, you are your kids' best lifeguard.
Make sure to use water resistant sunscreen and reapply after you get out of the water.
Get out of the water as soon as you hear thunder and seek shelter. Wait at least 30 minutes after the last rumble before you venture back. Lightning can strike anywhere within thunder range. So if you hear thunder, you are at risk.
Make sure to swim in areas protected by lifeguards. Seconds count in water emergencies, and lifeguards are best equipped to call in first responders. If guards are unavailable (such as at a home pool), keep a cell or cordless phone by the swimming area.
Maintain an updated emergency contact list and notify all caregivers.
POOL RULES:
DO NOT allow a person who cannot swim or does not know CPR to be your kids' only lifeguard/monitor.
Invest in fencing that surrounds your entire pool. This may be one of the best ways to prevent drowning at your home. The Consumer Product Safety Commission provides these guidelines for pool fencing:
They should be at least 4 feet high with no rails or holds for kids to climb on.
For chain link fences, they should have no opening larger than 1 ¾ inches, and slats on wooden fences should be less than 4 inches apart.
Gates should close and latch automatically, with any latch out of kids’ reach.
Remove all toys from the pool when your kids are done swimming. Last thing you want to do is to tempt a child into returning and and retrieving a favorite toy after you leave.
Be sure to drain and secure your pool when the season is over. Even frozen pools are attractions for kids.
LAKE, POND and OCEAN SAFETY:
Remind your kids that lakes, ponds and oceans are different from pools. Their water is often dark, making it harder to monitor children. They also may have waves and currents that can reduce visibility or change a child’s position.
Use the buddy system. Teach your kids that they should never swim alone.
Get your kids used to asking for permission every time they want to go in.The sooner you establish this rule, the better.
Look out for submerged hazards like glass, stumps, rocks, shells, weeds, or rope.
Kids should wear foot protection, like aqua socks or shoes.
Wait thirty minutes after eating a meal before returning to the water.
Make sure your kids pay attention to the lifeguards and swim only in protected areas.
Remember that the ocean is different from any other body of water. Strong currents, rip currents, and undertows can be perilous to unwary bathers. While guarding at the Jersey shore, my husband witnessed adults in waist-deep water knocked down by waves and swept to sea by a rip current in mere seconds.
In the ocean, watch out for kids on rafts, boogie boards, or inner tubes. Even in small waves, these toys can act like guided missiles and knock down a full-sized adult.
Rip currents are particularly perilous.
Many swimmers do not know how to recognize a rip current, and even Olympic swimmers cannot outpace the stronger ones.
Rip currents are easy to spot once you know what to look for—the water can appear as if: no waves or only small waves persist in the middle of large waves, the water is more turbid or cloudy in a particular area, or the water may even seem to flow out to the ocean rather than into the beach.
When in doubt, ask the guards on your beach if they see or know of any hazards in the area. They should be happy to point out a rip current if it is nearby.
Make sure that your kids know how to escape one if caught. A helpful teaching tool is to have them think of a rip current as a treadmill that cannot stop while they are on it. But they can get off it by swimming parallel to the beach.
IN AN EMERGENCY:
Get any child in distress out of the water as soon as possible, but follow the Red Cross guidelines—"reach, throw, row, go."
Your immediate instinct after seeing a child in distress will likely be to plunge right in, but you should first stop and assess the situation. Otherwise, you too might end up in trouble. So before running to the rescue, make sure that any lifeguards in the area know about the distressed child and are preparing to save him or her. If they are present and preparing to rescue the child, follow the guard's directions. But if none are nearby:
First, see if you can extend your grasp by trying to reach the child, with a pole, shepherd’s crook, or other device.
Second, look for a life preserver or other flotation device that you can throw to the child, preferably with a rope attached to it.
Third, try to find a boat, surf board, or rescue board you can use to retrieve the child.
Fourth and finally, go yourself, but you should be prepared to deal with someone in sheer panic who wants nothing more than to latch onto your throat and use you as a flotation device. Be aware that once adrenaline kicks in, even a scared child fearing for his life can overpower some adults.
