For those of us who feel at ease in the pool, it can be easy to take water safety for granted... but that would be a mistake. Drowning can happen to anyone of any age when water is present, and even the best swimmers are not immune.

Tragically, children are statistically at greatest risk. According to the Centers For Disease Control (CDC), drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 1–14.

Every year, thousands of Americans die and even more are injured (some permanently) by drowning. Many of these deaths could be prevented, and those of us who spend lots of time in and near the water can help. Now is a great time to be thinking about water safety because summer is a peak season for water-related injuries.

So whether you’re at the pool, at the beach, at the lake, or anywhere people interact with water, there are multiple ways we all can help to prevent drownings to keep ourselves, our friends, and the people around us safe.

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Here are just a few of the things you can do to help:

• Get your lifesaving and CPR certifications, so you'll be prepared in the case of a water emergency (at the pool or anywhere).

• Teach others how to swim. Many drownings happen simply because the victims didn’t know how to swim. Whether through a program or just informally with your friends and family you can share your skills to make others safer around water.

• Be aware of others around you and keep an eye out for risks. Raise an alarm if you see unsafe behavior, unsupervised children or other risks.

• Understand that others may want to hide their lack of competence in the water at their own risk. Don’t take their word for it that they are safe in the water; decide for yourself who is likely to be at risk.

 

Get more info on drowning prevention from the CDC

- https://www.cdc.gov/drowning/prevention/index.html

-American Academy of Pediatrics - https://services.aap.org/en/news-room/campaigns-and-toolkits/drowning-prevention/

-Many organizations such as American Red Cross and American Heart Association offer CPR training courses, both online and in-person.