You may never hear a splash or a cry for help. Drowning is a silent killer, and children ages 1-4 are most at risk. Most drownings happen in residential swimming pools and open bodies of water. However, children can drown in as little as 1 inch of water and are also at risk of drowning in bathtubs, buckets, toilets, and even drainage ditches and canals.
The National SAFE KIDS campaign and New London County SAFE KIDS offers you some safety tips to protect your little ones.
At Home:
- Never leave your child alone in or around water, including bathtubs, sinks, toilets and buckets. If you must leave the room, even for a moment, take your child with you
- Keep doors to bathrooms and utility rooms closed and secured with latches on the outside of the doors, beyond a child's reach Do not rely on a baby bath sat or ring to keep your baby safe in the tub without adult supervision
- Empty all buckets and similar containers immediately after use and store upside down out of your child's reach. Children are top heavy and can lose their balance easily. Once they fall in they may not have the strength to get out.
- Never allow young children to swim alone. Make sure older children always swim with a buddy and are supervised by an adult
- Be sure your family always wears U.S. Coast Guard- approved life jackets when on boats, near open bodies of water or when participating in water sports. Air-filled swimming aids, such as "water wings", are not safe substitutes for life jackets
- Never rely solely on a life jacket or swimming lessons to protect your child from drowning
- Make sure your children swim in designated areas in oceans, lakes and rivers. Look for clear water with little or no current and check the depth of the water before swimming or diving
- Never leave your child alone in or near a swimming pool, hot tub or wading pool - even for a moment
- Enclose your pool or spa with four sided fencing at least 5 feet high, with self-closing and self latching gates. Do not use your house as a one of the four sides. Check regularly to be sure drain covers are secure
- Empty and turn over wading pools immediately after use
- Learn infant and child CPR and keep rescue equipment, a telephone, and emergency numbers by your pool
- Teach children never to go near a pool drain. Children who get hair or body parts caught in the drain can drown. Pin up long hair when in pools, hot tubs, and spas.
Water Safety Links
- National safe kids campaign
- Coast guard
- Red Cross
- American academy of pediatrics
- National Safe Boating Council, Inc.