Drowning Awareness – Be Proactive!
“Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 1 to 14 years old, and the
fifth leading cause for people of all ages” -Center for Disease Control
Sadly, drowning is the second-leading cause of injury or death for children ages 5-9. For every child who dies
from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.
Furthermore, these nonfatal drowning injuries can sometimes lead to permanent loss of basic human
functioning.Believe it or not, most drowning deaths for young children in the United States occur in home swimming
pools.
Visual Cues
Children like to play games and swim under water. Unfortunately, you will not likely see, but HEAR the warning
signs of someone who is drowning.
Visual cues may be subtle and not dramatic, counter to what’s portrayed in TV or in movies. Additionally, those
who are drowning seldom yell for help or wave their arms. It’s very silent.
You can’t call out when you’re drowning because there is water blocking your airway.
Interestingly enough, the person may not even appear to be in distress. So please take note, if a swimmer becomes
quiet; has glassy or closed eyes; can’t talk or respond to your questions; or has hair covering their face or
mouth at water level with head tilted back, pay attention!
Active Supervision is Important
There is no substitute for active supervision when it comes to children playing in or near water.
Equally important, such supervision should be done by someone who isn’t distracted by a phone or conversation,
such as a designated Water Watcher.
In fact, it’s a good idea to have more than one Water Watcher to allow Watchers to take breaks or in case one
needs to leave.
Additionally, watchers should move around every five minutes rather than sit in one place and engage swimmer
directly about what they’re doing. With that said, the thing that can save the most lives is monitoring – somebody
paying attention.
Another important step in our opinion: Teach your kids to swim and when appropriate, kids should wear flotation
devices.
In light of this sobering topic, we want to help bring a greater awareness to this area.
Swimming Lessons
At Waters Choice, we hope that everyone will be more careful around
water and prevent a heart wrenching tragedy.So, don’t let it invade your summer.Be vigilant and watch your
children around water.
On another note, don’t forget to check out our social media platforms and sign up for our newsletter. Don’t miss
out on any tips and tricks when it comes to using Waters Choice enzymes in your swimming pools.
Go to www.waterschoice.com and let us know what you think.