Water safety seems like such a hard subject to crack with accidental drowning happening each day, this notwithstanding, water safety is attainable. This can be done by acknowledging the following five facts about staying safe in water.
Knowing How to Swim Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Drown
Do you know what Pablo Larza and Tate Ramsden have in common? Both drowned. Both were competent swimmers; Pablo was participating in an Olympics swimming race while Tate was the captain of his high school swim team. Last year, their drowning tragedies were replicated in East Sussex where five competent swimmer friends also died. What do these tragedies tell you about staying safe in water?
It is a fact that swimming competency is not a guarantee of water safety.
Although you or your kids are competent swimmers, there are a number of precautions you should observe. These include avoiding drugs or alcohol as these can impair your judgement while in the water.
You can save a life by learning CPR
Less than three minutes. Three minutes is what it takes for a person who has drowned to either suffer brain damage or die. All of these outcomes can however be prevented by learning CPR. A life saved, a tragedy prevented. Children, for example, can easily drown in meagre seconds. As a parent learning the basics of CPR and other first aid techniques will help you in responding to such situations. These classes are also important as you can learn how to stay safe in water by preventing incidents such as drowning.
Extreme conditions are dangerous
You should believe the cliché that too much of anything is dangerous! When it comes to water safety, watch out for extremities. You cannot stay safe in water if you are too tired, too thirsty or too scared. Extreme weather conditions such as thunderstorms are also quite dangerous. This is because extreme bodily and weather conditions hinder with your ability to make good judgement. ‘Too far from safety’ is also important as in the event of an accident your chances of saving yourself or being saved are reduced.
Without constant supervision kids are at a risk of danger in water
Nearly all credible sources on water safety emphasize on the importance of adult supervision. Please, check and confirm. Start with the Red Cross. The wording could be different but the message is still the same. 100% attention is a key ingredient of being safe in water. The emphasis on this issue is because it is a fact that if left unsupervised children are prone to danger in water.
Children are naturally curious and this curiosity can lead to danger such as a child retrieving a toy from water.
One of the key ways that you and your children can stay safe in water is by avoiding distractions; endeavour to give 100% attention to your children anytime you are around water.
Learn and implement water safety rules
It is a fact of life that rules can serve to avoid catastrophic events. Water safety rules in this case are important in ensuring that you and your family are always safe in water. Drowning in water occurs due to several reasons such as unsupervised children swimming and contests of holding breath. While the latter is all games and fun it could to hyperventilation. You can thus only be safe in water by laying down rules and ensuring that they are adhered to. The beauty about such facts is that you can easily learn water safety techniques and stay safe in water.
I’m hoping that these facts help keep you and your family safer in water. Do you know any water safety facts from experience?
One thing that I have always encouraged was making sure that all children learn the basics of water safety! There are a lot of places that offer swimming lessons to kids and adults of all ages. We have been part of the Goldfish Swim School for a few years now, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Look to see if there is a location near you! Swim lessons are perfect for those who are looking for something to do during the fall and winter months!
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