Safety Tips for Summer Swim Time with the Kids

As the weather gets hotter kids are going to want to swim! While we love the water, there are some risks!

In the U.S., we lose around a thousand kids to drowning incidents each year and another 7,000 end up in the ER.  So here’s some info to help keep your kids safe!

Read More –> Safe Kids Worldwide

1.  OPEN water is the most dangerous.  That means oceans, lakes, and rivers.
43% of childhood drownings happen there.
38% happen in swimming pools.
9% happen in bathtubs.
10% of drownings were unspecified.

2.  Keep an eye on teenagers at the beach, not just young kids. 
49% of open water drownings involve kids between 15 and 19 years old.
15% involve 10-to-14-year-olds.
13% involve kids between 5 and 9.
And 23% involve kids under the age of 5.

3.  Boys are more likely to get into trouble in the water.  
80% of open water fatalities involve boys
20% involve girls.

 

A few things to watch out for at the beach include dangerous currents, sudden drop-offs, where the water gets deeper and things like rocks, or vegetation they could get tangled in.

Have fun this summer!