Experts Stress Water Safety

When it comes to water safety for children, area experts advise following the ABC’s.

“The ABC’s of water safety were developed to help remember things that need to be considered when kids are in and around water,” said Michelle Parker, Safe Kids coordinator for the Inland Empire, out of Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital.

“A” stands for active supervision, which Parker says is “the number one issue we’d like to push.”

“A recent study by Safe Kids worldwide indicates that 94 percent stated they actively supervise, however when we examined that deeper we found out they were actually participating in distracting behaviors,” she said. “That includes things like talking on the telephone, reading and eating. You don’t want anything to come between that supervision and children."

Parker says that adults must be within immediate arm’s length of the children, and they must focus solely on the pool.

“They are literally the water watcher,” she said. “Having that job needs to be taken very seriously. We recommend whoever is taking the turn of being water watcher is wearing an item that indicates they are the water watcher. It could be a tag, or a little key chain with a whistle on it, and while they have that item, they are responsible.”

Accidents can happen at anytime, with just one child in the pool or several.

“We do have children who drown at parties because of lack of communication,” Parker said. “Somebody thinks somebody else is watching.”

Kids can drown in as little as one inch of water.

“While pools are foremost in our minds now, we still have children who drown in bathtubs,” Parker said. “We still have children who drown in bathtubs, quickly and silently. There are misnomers about hearing a loud splash, but often you don’t hear anything.”

If a child is missing, check the pool first, looking from the bottom up, and the car second. 

The “B” stands for barrier, such as a fence around the pool. Children have been known to access backyards through doggy doors, and several have gone on to drown in their pool.

“People need to understand that barriers can be important in slowing children down, or even stopping them from gaining access,” Parker said. “Door alarms, pool covers, we recommend using them in layers.”

“C” is for classes, which kids can start taking when they are as young as age 1.

“Children should be enrolled in swimming classes at an early age, as well as water safety classes,” Parker said. “Taking these life saving steps as soon as possible could literally save a child’s life.”

For additional information, visit www.safekids.org.

More safety tips:

• Use foam life rings, which can easily be used in a rescue.
• Have a cell phone handy in case you must call 911.
• Don’t use water wings or any other inflatable device that is easy to deflate.
• Purchase lifeguard approved personal flotation devices.