Working Together to Prevent Accidental Drownings
It takes a village to raise a child. The same aphorism rings valid for preventing accidental drownings. Children rely on adults for education, life skills, and protection from harm. Unintentional drowning is 100 percent preventable. Preventing these tragedies requires us to provide our children with the skills, education, and preventive measures needed to avoid drownings.
Support Political Action on Drowning Prevention
On April 5, 2022, the Neng Thao Drowning Prevention Act was again put on the back burner; the act is in response to a devastating accident. In May 2017, an unbelievable tragedy struck when 18-year-old Neng Thao was swept away by the San Joaquin River. This bright, caring community leader drowned just a few days before graduating.
(a) Drowning is a leading cause of death and hospitalizations for California children one 1 to four 4 years of age, inclusive, and one of the leading causes of death and hospitalizations for California’s teens and youth under 19 years of age.
(b) Drowning can be prevented by increasing parents, caregivers, and pupils’ knowledge of water safety and competency in swimming skills. National and international research shows that water safety and swimming skills are more than 80 percent effective in preventing drowning.
(c) Drowning prevention classes, including swim lessons with certified instructors, have been declared essential services addressing an important public health concern by the California Secretary of Health and Human Services and the State Department of Public Health.
Similarly, a Florida bill has passed that will go a long way in preventing the needless tragedy of drowning. Aptly titled the “Every Child a Swimmer” bill, this legislation will ensure Florida schools will be given access to drowning prevention and directions to qualified swimming instructors. This bill is a much-needed response to Florida’s high rate of unintentional drowning deaths for children.
Steve Wallen Swim School is Your Best Choice for Learning to Swim
At Steve Wallen Swim School, we have provided life-saving swimming lessons for children and adults for over four decades. Our custom curriculum addresses both swimming skills and water safety. Our thoughtful, caring approach ensures that children are taught how to swim using proven methods, resulting in lifelong swimmers!
Do Your Part to Prevent Drownings
Know the aquatic risks in your area, and educate the entire family on the dangers of water. Enroll your children in swimming lessons today; you can give them life-saving abilities by providing them with the necessary skills. If you or your neighbors have a backyard pool or hot tub, ensure that there are sturdy barriers in place to prevent falls or unsupervised play.
Keep these Top 5 Drowning Prevention Points in mind:
- Use life jackets and personal flotation devices.
- Register the entire family for swimming lessons.
- All children and non-swimmers should be fully supervised and be within the arm’s reach of a competent adult.
- Learn first aid and CPR.
- Keep water areas safe by adding rescue equipment, barriers, fences, and locking gates.
In addition to learning how to swim, children must also be supervised when near the water. Aquatic supervision is different from other activities in that the supervision must be constant and laser-focused! Did you know it takes less than 60 seconds to
drown, sometimes only 20 seconds? By ensuring areas of water have barriers, providing swimming lessons, and constant supervision, accidental drownings can be prevented! Come visit our state-of-the-art learn to swim pools in El Dorado Hills or Roseville to learn more and register for swimming lessons!
