Pools and lakes provide welcome relief from hot temperatures as well as days of summer adventure. Parents and caregivers strive to keep children safe in the water and to make sure that they take the right precautions when they enjoy the water with their friends. Without the right safety measures, water can be extremely dangerous.
As you enjoy the relaxing days of summer, remember the following water safety tips:
- Never leave small children alone in or near water. Children can drown in as little as 1 inch of water in a matter of seconds.
- Confirm that pools and spas are totally surrounded by fencing at least 5 feet high with self-closing, self-latching gates.
- Keep rescue equipment, cell phone and emergency numbers close by when you are in the water.
- Enroll children in swimming lessons taught by qualified instructors when they are ready. But do not assume your child is “drown-proof.” Even though they may have completed lessons and learned to swim, they still need constant supervision.
- Make sure children wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal floatation devices on boats, near open bodies of water, or when participating in water sports.
- Do not allow children under 14 to operate personal watercrafts.
- Learn infant and child CPR and ensure your teens learn too.
- Take swimming lessons yourself if you are not confident in the water.
- Be aware of undercurrents and the changing nature of waves.
- Do not let children dive into water unless an adult is present and knows that the depth of the water is greater than 9 feet.
- Keep hot tub equipment and chemicals away from children.
- Never consume alcohol when operating a boat or other watercraft.
Sponsored by Lauren McClure, MD and Rangeley Family Medicine
