Water Safety Tips

Water sports ~ like swimming, wading, boating, and water skiing ~ are fun and exciting. But they can also be dangerous for people of all ages. In 1996, nearly 4,000 people drowned in the United States, including almost 1,000 children younger than 15 years of age. Near-drownings can result in brain damage.

You can greatly reduce the chances of you and your children becoming a drowning victim or being injured if you follow a few simple safety tips:

1. Never swim alone or in unsupervised places. Teach your teen to always swim with a buddy.
2. Teach teenagers about the danger of drinking alcohol and swimming, boating, or water skiing. Many people don't realize that alcohol use is involved in many drownings: 25-50% of adolescent and adult drownings involve alcohol use. In 40-50% of drownings among adolescent boys, alcohol is a major contributing factor.
3. To prevent choking, never chew gum or eat while swimming, diving, or playing in water.
4. Learn CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation). Take a class with your teenager!
5. Check the water depth before entering. The American Red Cross recommends nine feet as a minimum depth for diving or jumping.
6. If you own a pool, install a telephone near it. Know how to contact local emergency medical services. Post the emergency number, your address(in case your teenager's friend is doing the calling), and 911 in an easy-to-see place.
7. Know the local weather conditions and forecast before swimming or boating. Thunderstorms and strong winds are dangerous to swimmers and boaters.
8. In an open swimming area, such as an ocean or a lake, restrict activities to designated swimming areas, usually marked by buoys.