Safety facts
Drowning statistics
No matter what your age or your swimming skills, you can be made safer near and in the water. Learning to swim is vital, of course, but you must know how to prevent the risk of drowning even before you and especially your children know how to swim.
Alright then. First some facts*, followed by the safety tips below.* My source for these statistics is the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Data (1998). Apologies for the lack of statistics for outside the US.
Drowning is the 3rd major cause of unintentional death in the US, and the 2nd major cause of death for people aged 5-44.
Who is most likely to drown?
Children drowning is the 2nd leading cause of injury-related death for children aged 1-14 years, accounting for 940 deaths in 1998. Males drowning rates were at least 3 times greater for males than for females. In 1998, males comprised 81% of people who drowned in the United States.- Blacks the overall age-adjusted drowning rate for black children was 42.6% higher for blacks than for whites. Black children ages 5 through 19 years drowned at 2.5 times the rate of whites.
Where do children drown?
Children who drown in residential pools had been:Residential swimming pools account for 60-90% of drownings for children aged 0-4 years. Half of these drownings occur at the child's own home.
- last seen inside their home;
- gone for less than 5 minutes; and
- in the care of either or both parents at the time.
Young children (as well as adults) don't splash, struggle or make noise when in danger in water, and often quickly drown in silence.
How do children drown?
How young children drown depends on their age.
Children younger than 1 year often drown in:
- toilets
- buckets
- 5-gallon industrial containers or
- bathtubs
Children aged 1-4 are most likely to drown in hot tubs, spas and swimming pools.
Children aged 5-14 most often drown in swimming pools and open water such as rivers, lakes, dams and canals.
More statistics:
The Centers for Disease Control's National Center for Injury Prevention & Control
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/drown.htm
Drowning prevention
As someone fearful of water, you are the last person to go near it without being prepared. But even before you take swimming lessons you can and must drownproof yourself and your family, dear friends.
Water safety tips for all ages:
You and all family members must wear a Coast Guard-approved personal floatation device (PFD) or life jacket * when on a boat for sailing, fishing or other water activities. Good for you if you may know how to swim; the PFD is required in many states for good solid safety reasons, however. The fit of a life jacket is vital, especially for a child.
- Always swim with another competent swimmer. Always have someone on land close by and watching you.
- If a child is swimming or playing near the water, an adult must be at arm's reach and watching at all times. This rules out reading, chatting on the phone and drinking alcohol. Keep a phone handy, however, near any pool.
- Air-filled water toys such as water wings, mattresses and other plastic inflatibles are not life preservers! They are toys only, and are made to deflate.
- Pool toys belong in a pool's shallow end for non-swimmers to safely play with them, wearing their PFDs, of course. Empty pools should never have tempting toys in or near them.
- All pools need a 5-foot fence around their 4 sides. Gate latches must be taller than a child, and must self-close and self-latch.
- No drug or alcohol use before or during swimming, boating or water skiing. Teenagers especially need to learn about the dangers of alcohol and water sports.
- Know how deep the water is before jumping or diving in. The American Red Cross recommends at least 9 feet of depth. This means that above-ground pools can't be dived into. Safest still, just ease yourself in feet first from the pool edge from a sitting position, even if you can see the bottom.
- Eat or chew gum only after leaving the water. Both are a choking hazard during water activities.
- Leave the water once you feel chilly. If your fingers and toes look blue or feel numb, it could mean the onset of hypthermia.
- Know how to use cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
- Of course, you and your family will be taking swimming lessons!
* Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs or life jackets) must be used in the manner for which they are approved. All USCG-approved PFDs are classified as Type 1, 2, 3, 4 (also 5 but we wont get into those).
Type 1 are used on ocean-going vessels and rarely used in instructional settings. They keep a person upright and slightly backwards and floating for long periods.
Type 2 are made to roll an individual on their back and support in that position. They can be recognized by fully covering the back/chest and usually have a "collar" as well.
Type 2 for infants and children frequently have a crotch strap to keep the PFD from slipping over the head upon impact w/ water.
Type 3 are the ones most often used for water sports and for swimming aids.They are also most affordable. These jackets are made to support an individual in water. These jackets will not roll an individual over onto their back. If the individual is unconscious or does not have head control, the jacket will support the individual, but in a face down position.
Type 4 is a life preserver, either a cushion or ring. This is thrown to a person who needs it until he or she is rescued. Type 4 is not meant for use by children or nonswimmers!
Water safety links
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (SAFE USA)
http://www.cdc.gov/safeusa/water/water.htm
- The National Swim Schools Association
http://www.nationalswimschools.com/watersafety%20page.htm
- The American Academy of Pediatrics Injury Prevention Program
http://www.aap.org/family/tipppool.htm
- The NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) has a Risk Watch program
http://www.nfpa.org/education/Professional_Educators/RW/parent_water.html
Drowning rescue
Only if you are a trained lifeguard should you attempt a swimming rescue. Even if you know how to swim a little, you are not qualified to rescue another swimmer in trouble unless you have taken a Y, Red Cross or equivalent course in water rescue.
In particular, you are not to jump in the water. Trained lifeguards themselves do this only as a last resort. OK?
So what can a nonswimmer do?
You can help out with a "nonswimmers rescue" thusly:
- If the drowning victim is close enough, extend a pole, broom handle, branch, boat oar, an arm or leg (yours) or even a towel to grab on to.
- If you decide to pull the victim out, (and you'll judge for yourself if this is appropriate), stay down low, hold onto something solid and lean your weight back to avoid being pulled into the water by the victim.
- If the drowning victim is too far away for you to reach, you can toss a life preserver or anything that floats for their support. Then call for help immediately.