By Jenna O’Donnell
Summer is bringing the heat this Fourth of July weekend and there’s no better time for families to remember best practices for safely cooling down at local pools and beaches.
Drowning is the second leading cause of death for children between the ages of 5 and 14, with 88 percent of drownings occurring in the company of adults. Two kids die every day from drowning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and those odds will only increase during the holiday weekend, according to Katie McAdoo, executive director at the Red Bank Family YMCA.
“We do see a spike around the Fourth of July, because water usage is up,” McAdoo said. “We see a lot of folks at parties. Mom thinks Dad is watching, Dad thinks Mom is watching. You get in that carefree state of mind.”
Although the risks seem to increase with the temperature, drowning is preventable. The YMCA, as the nation’s leading provider of swim lessons and water safety training, has a few tips for members of the community to remember to ensure that swimmers of all ages can safely enjoy the water during the holiday weekend – and all summer long.
NEVER SWIM ALONE
Water safety’s cardinal rule is to always swim with a companion. Children should know that they must always swim in locations where a lifeguard is on duty. That’s the first lesson kids are taught about swimming, say Caterina Powell and Caitlin Minnich, the Red Bank Family YMCA’s coordinators of aquatics safety and swim lessons, respectively.
“You always want to make sure you have a buddy or a parent with you,” Powell said.
She added that this rule isn’t just for kids. Older teens and adults should try to avoid swimming alone as well. “It can happen to anyone, even the most experienced swimmers,” she said.“They might make a mistake or think they’re OK when they’re really not.”
SUPERVISE YOUR CHILDREN
Even with a lifeguard on duty, parents should make sure to stay within arm’s reach and actively watch their children near water.
“It’s always important to make sure that you’re watching your own child,” said Minnich. “That’s the biggest thing that I see at pool parties. Parents who don’t watch their kids or think someone else is watching them.”
At a busy community pool or a summer party, kids who are not carefully supervised can get lost in the crowd. Even a vigilant lifeguard might not spot a drowning child in time. Powell urges parents to think of a lifeguard as a backup and to make sure they are actively watching children while steering clear of distractions.
“The key word is to actively watch them,” she said, noting that phones, conversations or other distractions can prevent parents from noticing if an incident occurs. “Actively sit at the pool’s edge or in the water, watching the children. Don’t just send little kids down to the water and think the lifeguard is enough.”
Parents must also ensure that children abide by pool safety rules: Avoid running and horseplay, don’t dive into shallow or water of unknown depth and avoid water during thunderstorms.
DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH
While many kids – and some adults – have engaged in a breath-holding contest at one time or another, water safety experts find that prolonged breath holding can often lead to drownings.
“Part of what we teach is proper breathing, taking deep breaths, active breathing,” Powell said. “I see kids playing underwater games like diving for rings. It’s fun but you can’t keep doing it. That’s where a lot of drownings can happen.”
Avoiding mishaps related to accidentally inhaling too much water is partly about learning about limits. Parents should moderate pool time to make sure that kids don’t overextend themselves during a full day at the pool or beach.
“It’s important to teach kids to know when they’ve had enough,” said McAdoo.
WEAR A LIFE JACKET
Inexperienced or nonswimmers should come to the water equipped with an appropriate life jacket.
“You want to wear Coast Guard-approved swimwear,” said Minnich. “You don’t want to wear water wings, they’re not very protective. God forbid they deflate or if a kid tips over. Anything Coast Guard-approved is better to use.”
Powell added that Coast Guard-approved swim gear, including Puddle Jumpers can be found at most retailers, like Amazon and Walmart, but it’s important to follow weight guidelines.
“You have to make sure the jacket is the right weight size,” Powell said. “If it’s too big or too small it is not going to do its job.”
She also notes that life jackets are just training tools and cannot be a replacement for watching children by the pool or ocean. “There should still be super vision.”
‘REACH, THROW, DON’T GO’
Young swimmers are taught this simple phrase to remember not to jump in the water to try to save a friend or a parent struggling in deep water.
As part of the Y’s Safety Around Water program, children learn that even a strong swimmer can be overwhelmed by a panicked person dragging them under water. “Reach, Throw, Don’t Go” reminds kids how to help friends without compromising their own safety.
“If a parent is in need of help and the child is the only one there, we teach them to throw a noodle or reach with a pole,” Minnich said. “Then go for help or dial 911.”
TAKE LESSONS
Parents are encouraged to enroll children in water safety or swim lessons to make sure children practice safe swimming throughout life.
The Red Bank Family YMCA offers swim lessons throughout the year for both children and adults of all skill levels, as well as financial assistance to those unable to pay the full cost of membership and programs. Each year the Y offers free swim lessons for Red Bank third grade students along with a “Learn to Swim Week” during which all community members can come for five lessons at a discounted rate.
“Swim lessons always help,” Powell said. “But parents can’t prep their kids for the summer in just a few months. You need to continuously take lessons throughout the year.
“It’s like a marathon. You work all year so you’re prepared.”
