Red Cross urges: Make water safety a priority

The weather is getting hot, and swimming is the most popular summer activity. Water safety is important, and the best thing you can do to help your family stay safe is to enroll in age-appropriateswim lessons.

Here are some other tips to make sure your family has a safe, enjoyable summer season.

Make Water Safety Your Priority

Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards. Always swim with a buddy; do not allow anyone to swim alone. Even at a public pool or a lifeguarded beach, use the buddy system! Ensure that everyone in the family learns to swim well. Enroll in age-appropriate Red Cross water orientation and Learn-to-Swim courses. Never leave a young child unattended near waterand do not trust a child’s life to another child; teach children to always ask permission to go near water. Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear life jacketsaround water, but do not rely on life jackets alone.
Establish rules for your family and enforce them without fail. For example, set limits based on each person’s ability, do not let anyone play around drains and suction fittings, and do not allow swimmers to hyperventilate before swimming under water or have breath-holding contests.
Even if you do not plan on swimming, be cautious aroundnatural bodies of water including ocean shoreline, rivers and lakes. Cold temperatures, currents and underwater hazards can make a fall into these bodies of water dangerous.
If you go boating, wear a life jacket! Most boating fatalities occur from drowning.
Avoid alcohol use. Alcohol impairs judgment, balance and coordination; affects swimming and diving skills; and reduces the body’s ability to stay warm.

Prevent Unsupervised Access to the Water

Install and use barriers around yourhome pool or hot tub. Safety covers and pool alarms should be added as additional layers of protection.
Ensure that pool barriers enclose the entire pool area, are at least 4-feet high with gates that are self-closing, self-latching and open outward, and away from the pool. The latch should be high enough to be out of a small child’s reach.
If you have an above-ground or inflatable pool, remove access ladders and secure the safety cover whenever the pool is not in use.
Remove any structures that provide access to the pool, such as outdoor furniture, climbable trees, decorative walls and playground equipment.
Keep toys that are not in use away from the pool and out of sight. Toys can attract young children to the pool.

Know What to Do in an Emergency

If a child is missing, check the water first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability.
Know how and when to call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.
If you own a home pool or hot tub, have appropriate equipment, such as reaching or throwing equipment, a cell phone, life jackets and a first aid kit.