6/19/2007

Swimming Can Be Deadly

Splash into Safety!

Drowning is a quick and silent killer. A submerged child can lose consciousness in less than 2 minutes – the time it takes to answer a phone – and sustain permanent brain damage in only 4-6 minutes. You may never hear a splash or a cry for help.

Drowning Facts:
1. Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death among children ages 1 to 4, and the second leading cause of accidental death among children ages 1 to 14, in the United States.

2. The risk of drowning increases more than any risk area in the summer, compared to the rest of the year (up by 96 percent).

3. Children can drown in as little as one inch of water and are therefore at risk of drowning not only in pools, spas, hot tubs and natural bodies of water, but in wading pools, bathtubs, buckets, diaper pails and toilets.

4. A child can drown in a matter of seconds. Child drownings typically occur when a child is left unattended or during a brief lapse in supervision.

5. Irreversible brain damage occurs after four to six minutes of being submerged.

6. Nearly 9 out of 10 fatal drownings occur while a child is being supervised by a parent or caregiver.

7. Most children who drown in swimming pools were last seen in the home, had been missing from sight for less than five minutes and were in the care of one or both parents at the time of the drowning.

Drowning Prevention Tips:
1. Actively supervise your children in and around water.
2. Install four-sided isolation fencing, at least five feet high, equipped with self-closing and self-latching gates, around a home pool or spa.
3. Always wear an appropriately sized life jacket when on a boat, near open bodies of water or when participating in water sports.
4. To avoid drain entanglement and entrapment in pools and spas, install anti-entrapment drain covers.
6. Never dive into water less than nine feet deep.
7. Empty all containers (buckets, wading pools, etc.) immediately after use and store out of reach.

If you would like to learn more about summer safety, visit our website at: shandssafekids.org.