Many Central Florida families and visitors will be heading to the lakes, pools, and beaches during spring break. The Orange County Health Department is reminding adults that drowning can happen in a matter of seconds in any body of water and regardless of the season. A drowning can occur anytime of the year when a child is near or around a body of water.
Florida has one of the highest rates of childhood drowning in the U.S., said the Health Department. And it’s never too early or too late to learn to be water safe.
The following are year-round water safety tips for adults and property owners:
- Be aware of drowning. Keep in mind that although the majority of drowning and near- drowning incidents occur in pools, drowning can also occur at the beach, a lake, in a bathtub, toilet, or even a puddle of water. Get educated about water safety and take all necessary precautions to prevent a drowning accident.
- Constant and active supervision is the key. Make sure that children engaging in water activities are supervised by an undistracted mature adult. It is highly advised for adults to practice “touch” supervision which means not to be further than 3 feet or an arms length from the child in the water.
- Use layers of protection. In case supervision fails due to human error, install a 4 foot fence with self-locking and self-latching gates around the pool or other potentially hazardous bodies of water. Make sure all entrances to bodies of water, including the bathroom door, are locked at all times and inaccessible to young children. Also, install alarms on all doors exiting to pool, pond, or lake area.
- Educate. Teach children about the importance of always being with an adult and always swimming with a buddy.
- Water safety and swimming skills. When the child is developmentally ready, enroll them in water safety skills or swim lessons.
- Be prepared for a water emergency. Make sure you are ready to respond in case of an emergency: have an emergency phone near the body of water, have rescue and safety equipment available, learn to swim, and learn how to perform CPR.
For information and resources on water safety visit the Orange County Health Department website at www.orchd.com.
