Never leave small children unattended around any body
of water
(pool, bathtub, lake, etc.). Small
children don't often think of water as a danger and they are, by nature, very
curious. Being left alone in or around water without supervision can be fatal.
Take small children with you if the phone should ring or if you should
have to perform some brief task such as making a sandwich or loading the washing
machine rather than trusting toddlers to be careful or to stay away from water
while unsupervised.
Be aware of streams, creeks, ponds, ditches, etc. that may be located on or
near your property. Make certain that a responsible adult knows the whereabouts
of small children at all times if there is any water nearby. If a child is
missing, search the water areas first to save valuable seconds.
Be aware that standing water left in buckets, wading pools, bathtubs, toilets,
etc. can be dangerous to toddlers. Do not leave water or other solutions
unattended in buckets or other containers when toddlers are in the home. A
child can drown in as little as 2 inches of water, enough to cover the nose
and mouth. Empty buckets or other containers immediately when not in use and
store them safely away from small children.
Learn CPR especially if you own a pool or live near the water. Valuable
lifesaving seconds are lost by having to wait for Emergency Medical Services
to arrive to begin CPR. Four to six minutes without oxygen can cause irreversible
brain damage or death.
Encourage older children and adolescents to learn how to swim, but remember
even good swimmers can drown. Swimming lessons are no substitute for supervision
of young children in and around water and no one should ever swim alone.
Teach children and adolescents to avoid conditions or situations which could
create the potential for danger, e.g. swimming in nonpublic, restricted
or isolated areas, or swimming in areas with strong, unstable or turbulent
currents.
Encourage adolescents to avoid drinking alcoholic beverages especially if
they plan to engage in recreational water activities such as swimming,
fishing, boating, etc.
Approved personal floatation devices (PFDS) should be worn by all passengers
in powered and unpowered watercraft, or by anyone who is unable to swim or
unsure of their swimming abilities when in and around water. "Water Wings"
are not a dependable flotation device and are no substitute for adult supervision
of small children in and around water.
Swimming pools should be enclosed by a 4-sided fence that is at least
5 feet high and separates the pool area from the house. The fence gate should
have a self-closing, self-latching mechanism, which is located on the side
of the gate closest to the pool and out of reach of small children. Reaching
and/or throwing aids should be readily available.
Never
test how long you can hold your breath under water, or allow your children
to play this game. The practice of taking a series of deep breaths, or
hyperventilating, prior to submerging, in order to stay longer under water,
can be deadly. It can override the body's natural signal to take a
breath resulting in swimmer not realizing the need for a breath and losing
consciousness under water.
