Drowning Prevention Day!!
Monday, July 25, 2016 Splash Pals Adapted Aquatics held a Drowning Prevention Awareness Day. Drowning is 100% preventable if you know a few basic guidelines that can be followed by adults and children. We wanted to make sure the parents knew the best way to keep their children safe, within the water loving communities of South Florida. Our pool session ran as normal and at the end the kids and families were welcome to stick around to learn about ways to prevent drowning and enjoy some snacks!
In South Florida, drowning is the leading cause of death in children ages 1-4. In 2012, 440 Florida residents drowned, 343 hospitalizations for non-fatal drownings, and of those two numbers children aged 1-4 make up 13% of the deaths and 44% of the hospitalizations. Of these drowning 56% of children under the age of 5 drowned in a swimming pool, 6% in a bathtub, and 15% in natural/open water. 97% of these drownings were unintentional and could have been avoided. This means on average two children die per day to drowning.
Here are a few ways you can prevent drowning in your community:
Always swim in a lifeguarded area.
Always keep your child within arm’s reach or have a specific “water watcher” (a responsible adult) whenever kids are in or around water.
Put a fence around your pool that is at least 4 feet high, with a self-closing, self-latching gate.
Wear life preservers, especially while participating in open water sports and recreation.
Always swim with a buddy!
Enroll children in swim lessons.
Never dive into shallow water or water you do not know the depth of.
