FREEHOLD – The Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office has released a list of safety tips for those planning to swim in pools, lakes or the ocean.
The are:
• Teach your children how to dial 9-1-1 in case of emergencies. Children should be prepared to give their full name and explain slowly and clearly what happened.
• Never leave children unattended. Always provide adult supervision for your children in or around a body of water, including swimming pools, lakes and beaches. Children can drown in as little as 2 inches of water.
• Teach children to always swim with a partner.
• Air-filled flotation devices do not replace adult supervision for children in the water. Flotation devices can give parents and children a false sense of security.
• Learn CPR at a certified program in your area. Always check the water depth before allowing children to enter the water.
• Learn to swim. Enroll yourself and/ or your children (age appropriate) in swimming classes.
• Always remember, if you are caught in a rip current, swim parallel to the shore. Once you are out of the current, swim toward the shore.
• Always watch for dangerous waves and signs of rip current water that is discolored, unusually choppy, foamy or filled with debris.
• Always remember that currents are often unpredictable – they can move rapidly and quickly change direction. A strong water current can carry expert swimmers far from shore.
