Adult supervision is beginning of water safety

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‘I was only gone for a second….’ Is a phrase that haunts so many people affected directly or indirectly by a drowning or non-fatal drowning event. What seemed like ‘a few seconds’ statistics show were closer to 5-10 minutes of unaccountable time.

Answering the phone, the doorbell, running to the restroom, checking the mail – all these events can leave a youngster alone long enough for him or her to drown. Permanent, irreversible brain damage only takes 4-6 minutes without oxygen to the brain; take a moment to think about that before you run to do something else.

My goal is to bring awareness to our community and provide residents with the information to protect themselves, their families and their neighbors from this tragic event.

Adult supervision is just the beginning of water safety, but it is the most important and easiest to control. Adult supervision sounds simple, but this item is the most common cause of child drowning events. Adult supervision requires your undivided attention when children are near or involved with any type of water activities.

Water activities such as showering, bathing and cleaning are often overlooked as true water activities; however, these types of activities claim several lives each year. These activities are not seasonal as is swimming; these events occur daily, weekly and monthly, making them some of the most dangerous and often overlooked hazards. When children are participating in or around any of these types of water activities:

– Don’t answer the phone
– Don’t answer the door
– Don’t run to get something
– Don’t rely on siblings to watch each other
– Don’t leave buckets unattended
– Don’t leave toilet lids open

A child can drown in as little as a few inches of water. Plan ahead and have items such as soap, washcloths, cordless telephones and towels within arm’s reach of you at the bathtub edge. Empty and turn over cleaning buckets. Rinse out buckets with fresh water after use to help prevent exposure to cleaning products as well. Close toilet lids when finished in the restroom, and use toilet lid locks if there are small children in the home.

Swimming pools have dangers that are often overlooked such as ladders, slides and diving boards. Children who swim in pools with ladders can become entrapped between the ladder and the wall. Last year they fit; this year they get stuck and are unable to reach the surface for air.

Slides can cause slip and fall types of injuries as children rush to climb to the top. We all know that as children get older they get braver and are willing to try new things. Jumping off the roof, the wall or the top of the slide into the pool seem like good ideas to some children; however, diving emergencies and injuries are extremely common during swimming months.

All these types of injuries and the potential for injuries are preventable with Adult Supervision. The ‘don’ts’ listed above should be considered and followed with all types of pool activities as well.

Designate an individual to be the Water Watcher or Child Watcher any time there is activity in the pool; rotate the position to allow others to feel the responsibility that comes with that title. The individual that is in that position should scan the water, the area around the water and point out and stop any activity, immediately fixing any hazards or problems they may spot. Constant, uninterrupted supervision will help prevent another drowning from occurring.

Spa and Jacuzzi type water features have additional hazards. Entrapments in drains can occur, shallower water levels create diving injury potential, and if the spa is above ground, it may prevent easy visibility into the water.

Entrapment with the drain is a common but preventable hazard with the installation of anti-entrapment drain covers. Supervision that prevents children from jumping into shallow bodies of water will prevent diving or jumping type injuries. Covering and/or locking spas or Jacuzzis when not in use will prevent children from wandering into these hazards unattended.

This information may seem easy and straightforward; however, these are the things that are commonly forgotten and found to be the cause of a drowning event. Adult supervision is one of the safety rules that has proven to help prevent these emergencies from occurring.

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