At British Swim School, our mantra, “Survival of the Littlest” is at the center of everything we do, with water safety as our #1 priority!
Teaching children to swim is a step towards water safety, but swimming lessons alone will not make children water safe. Safety experts encourage multiple layers of protection, ALWAYS. In addition to formal swimming lessons, safety around the water requires active supervision, physical barriers, alarms, and more.
Another consideration about water safety is that it’s important that adults learn to swim, too! Caregivers need to know how to save themselves in order to save others.
Why is Water Safety Important?
The risk of drowning exists anywhere there is water, especially for children. Through education and water safety awareness, we can prevent the tragedy of drowning. Important drowning facts everyone should know:
- Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children, especially children ages 1-4, who are at the highest risk of drowning.
- While drowning risks vary by age group, no one is “drown proof” – even adults can get into trouble in the water!
- Drowning is frequently silent and goes unnoticed, even within a few feet of a crowd of people.
- A person can drown in less than 60 seconds if gone unnoticed.
- A person can drown in less than 2 inches (6 centimeters) of water.
- For every fatal drowning, 5 non-fatal drowning victims receive hospital-related care or emergency treatment.
- Formal swimming lessons and a multi-layered approach to water safety prevent drowning!
Water Safety Tips
The water can be dangerous without active supervision and safety precautions, especially for young children and inexperienced swimmers. So, how can we protect your child from drowning?
- Always swim with a buddy
- Actively supervise children when around the water
- Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards
- Reach or throw aid to a distressed swimmer – don’t go!
- Learn how to identify a distressed swimmer and the basics of CPR
- When struggling in the water, rest your muscles by floating on your back
- Keep toys when not in use away from the pool and out of sight
- Have inexperienced swimmers wear a lifejacket
- Install and use barriers around your home pool or hot tub
- Sign up for survival based swim lessons
More information on water safety resources and programs can be found HERE.
