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Teaching about the danger of swimming in unsupervised pools
The statistics are alarming:
* Over 350 children less than 5 years of age drown in swimming pools.
* Approximately 90 percent of child drowning involve swimming pools
* 60-70 percent of these drowning occur in ground level residential pools.
* About 50 percent of child drowning occur in the backyard pools of neighbors, family members or friends.
Children who do survive a drowning experience can suffer devastating consequences. Statistics state that as many as 20 percent of near-drowning survivors suffer severe, permanent neurological disability.
Needless to say, most of these accidents occur in unsupervised pools, mostly in residential areas where children come to swim unaccompanied by parents, or there is no adult supervision. Apartment dwellers should make sure that an adult, capable of perform life guard duties are in attendance at the swimming pool at all times.
If you have your own private swimming pool make sure that you are keeping a watch on the children. Never let your children invite the neighborhood children to swim when there is no one at home. Establish good safety rules when children are in the swimming pool.
* If you have toddlers and infants at home make sure your swimming pool is fenced off so that it is not accessible
to them. A five-foot wooden fence is ideal. Also make sure that latches with locks are in place.
* Always watch your kids with undivided attention. It takes only 30 seconds for a child to drown. Any telephone calls, or attending to the doorbell is all it takes so avoid leaving your supervisory duties and teach all children who have come to swim safety rules.
* When your pool is not being used, put away all pool toys like balls and other flotation devices. Any toys lying in or around the pool area can attract small children to the pool area increasing the risk for accidents.
* Close and latch the pool door when the pool is not being used.
* Keep the pool well lit, especially at night.
* Keep important phone numbers near the pool at all times.
* Keep life rescue equipment near the pool at all times, like a life saver, a shepherd’s hook, etc.
* Take a First Aid course to know the proper way to use CPR if required.
* Instruct children not to play games, like running or tag, near the swimming pool. Even while they are swimming don’t allow them to roughhouse (pushing, shoving, dunking) each other.
* If you have installed a baby pool for toddlers, make sure that it is fenced so that toddlers cannot wander away from it into the big pool.
Remember that drowning in swimming pools is the second leading cause of injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14. Yet a survey conducted reveals that more than half of the parents say they do not worry very much or do not worry at all about their child drowning. This is even more alarming. Let’s not be lulled to the facts and statistics by our own ill-placed confidence. Practice safety rules and adult supervision at all times when children are swimming.
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