LUBBOCK, Texas — Summer is here and everyone is jumping in the pool or lake to cool off.
But always remember safety first.
Drowning is the number one cause of death for children between 1 and 4 years old.
That’s why parents need to always pay attention when their kids are by the water.
“Those are precious, precious seconds,” explained Belinda Waters, Trauma Nurse Coordinator at Covenant Children’s. “It is a silent event. They drown silently because they don’t know to scream out for help. They’re just going to slip into the water so you need someone to be watching them the entire time.”
That means one adult watching one child not distracted by anything.
And trade off watching with other adults.
“Research shows the maximum time they can maintain focus on that child is 15 minutes,” Waters said.
Adults should also be within an arms reach of little ones, have a phone right outside the pool and know CPR.
“If you have a pool you need at least a 4 foot fence all the way around so that will give you extra time if they try to get into the pool,” Waters explained. “If you have a child that is all the sudden missing look in the water first.”
Waters adds teach your child at a young age to not get into any water without an adult.
And there are things even older children who know how to swim need to remember.
“A buddy system is a must,” explained Waters. “They need a buddy instead of them being out there by themselves so they can be found very quickly.”
And remember, drowning can happen in an instant.
“We’ve actually had some incidents where a kid will get out through the doggy door and they were found in the pool,” said Waters. “We don’t want anyone to have to go through that.”
It’s also a good idea for your child to take swimming lessons.
The Covenant Health LifeStyle Centre offers swimming lessons.
You can find out more information at (806) 725-4386.