A national summer water survey done by the Red Cross in April showed that nearly eight out of ten households plan to participate in at least one water-related recreational activity this summer. Swimming in a poool or lake tops the list of water fun, followed by such activities as boating, water skiing, jet skiing or fishing. More than 40% plan to enjoy the water in an area with no lifeguard protection.
"Water safety is important for swimmers and non-swimmers alike, and the best thing anyone can do to help stay safe during water-related activities is to learn how to swim," said Erin McDonald, Director of Preparedness and Safety Solutions for the American Red Cross of Northeast Indiana.
Proper adult supervision is essential during water activities, as the survey showed that half of those surveyed will be in charge of supervising a child near a pool, lake or other body of water this summer.
Most adults realize that leaving a child temporarily unsupervised near or in the water is never acceptable, yet, sadly, every year lives are lost because of this," McDonald added.
With children, constant supervision is key. Keep them in your line of sight at all times when enjoying the pool. Other steps you can take include:
- Securing the pool with appropriate barriers. Many children who drown in home pools were out of sight for less than five minutes and in the care of one or both parents at the time.
- Never leave a young child unattended near water, and do not trust a child's life to another child; teach children to always ask permission to go near water.
- Avoid distractions when supervising children around water.
- If a child is missing, check the water first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability.
The Red Cross recommends designating at least one adult to solely be responsible for watching those in and around the water - even if a lifeguard is present. The responsible adult should also avoid all distractions such as talking on the phone, reading or participating in other activities while on watch. Adults should be in the water with inexperienced swimmers and remain within arm's reach of them.
This "arm's-reach supervision" is safer than putting water wings or floaties on a small child, as these items are not designed to keep a child's face out of the water and can leak, slip-off and provide a false sense of security. However, the survey found that a third of the survey respondents (32%) mistakenly believed that the floaties were safer than arms-reach supervision.
Whether you're taking a dip in the pool or enjoying a day at the beach, the Red Cross wants you to be safe. Ideally, you should learn to swim before enjoying the water. Here are some steps you can take to enjoy your summer water fun.
- Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards if possible. Always swim with a buddy; do not allow anyone to swim alone.
- Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone.
- Have appropriate equipment, such as reaching or throwing equipment, a cell phone, life jackets and a first aid kit.
- Know how and when to call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.
- Enroll in Red Cross water safety, first aid and CPR courses to learn how to respond.
Additional water and summer safety tips and information can be found on www.redcross.org. Please contact the American Red Cross or local YMCA to find out where Learn-to-Swim programs are offered.
Survey Details: Telephone survey of 1,085 U.S. Adults 18 years and older on April 7-11, 2011, conducted by ORC International. Margin of error is +/- 3.0 percent at the 95% confidence level. Polling included total sample of 175 African-American adults, with 82 included through a second wave of telephone interviews. Where appropriate, comparison values from a March 2009 poll have been included: Telephone survey of 1,002 U.S. adults 18 years and older on March 20-23, 2009, conducted by CARAVAN Opinion Research Corporation. Margin of error is +/- 3.1 percent at the 95% confidence level.
