During the summer, more outdoor activities occur and danger abounds. A casual swim in the lake or an accidental fall into a family pool can be fatal for small children and adults. We don’t mean to ruin your summer fun, but we do have a few tips to keep you and your family safe through the summer.
Put a gate on it.
We have read an unfortunate amount of tragic stories about drownings because a toddler wondered away for a moment and fell into a pool. In situations like that, moments can mean life or death. Putting a gate around your pool will give you some peace of mind as well as allow for children to know that the pool is unsafe for them to visit alone.
Supervise children closely near bodies of water.
A child can drown in even just a few inches of water, so it’s important that an adult is around at all times to be able to retrieve a child from the water in case of emergency. Community pools and some beaches have life guards on duty, but it’s easy for a drowning child to go unnoticed in a group setting.
Enforce speed/safety near the pool.
In addition to maintaining supervision of young children at the pool, enforcing strict rules is also vital. Children should not be allowed to run or rough house near a pool because hard surfaces make it easy for an injury or fall near the pool. Set rules early so children know the importance of pool safety.
Perhaps the most important safety lesson you can have this summer is learning how to perform CPR properly. We read a news article recently about a mother who saved a stranger’s toddler in a community pool because she was the only one of the adults there who knew CPR. In fact, some of the adults were sticking their fingers down the child’s throat in hopes to get the water out. The woman, Jennifer Richardson of Boca Raton, FL, got to the child in time and began chest compressions immediately. Fortunately, the water came pouring out after chest compressions commenced and the girl made a full recovery.
CPR, when done correctly (or at all) can truly mean the difference between life and death. So, learn how to do CPR, and urge others to do the same. You never know when you’ll need to save a life.
