Dive in to Family Water Safety

With kids out of school and summer vacations on the horizon, Florida residents are ready for some swimming fun. But before you and your family hit the pool or beach, please take a few moments to refresh your memory about family water safety. Drowning is the number one killer of children ages 1-4, and the third leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children 19 and under.

While you should never leave a small child unattended around water of any kind—including bathtubs, buckets, or other sources of water—this post will focus on ways to keep children safe around bodies of water like swimming pools, lakes, rivers, or the ocean.

Layer up

Experts agree that keeping kids safe around water works best when we put multiple layers of protection in place. Since almost 70 percent of childhood drownings occur not during swimming sessions but when children aren’t expected to be around water at all, the first layer should be a physical barrier. If you have a pool or live near a body of water such as a lake or canal, make sure you have barriers such as fences, alarms, or properly fitted pool covers which physically keep a child from getting to a pool or other body of water.

When it is time to hit the water, an adult who can swim should supervise at all times. Even kids who know how to swim need supervision. If there are multiple adults around, take turns serving as the “water watcher,” a person who focuses completely on watching the kids. When it’s your turn to supervise kids around water, avoid distractions. Don’t look at your phone, read, or engage in conversations. Drowning is often silent and fast—even a couple of minutes of inattention can be dangerous.

Make sure to have a phone handy if you need to call for assistance. Anyone who will be frequently supervising kids around water should know how to safely rescue a person in trouble in the water, and how to perform CPR. (Check out the American Red Cross’ “Water Safety for Parents and Caregivers,” if you need a refresher.)

Establish and enforce safety rules like no running or roughhousing around the pool and reinforce that kids should never go in the water without an adult present. Teens should always swim with a buddy.

Teach children how to swim—swimming lessons reduce the risk of drowning. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids aged four and up take swimming lessons. Check with the local YMCA or ask other parents where you can find age- and skill-appropriate swim classes.

Pools versus open water

Open water swimming is different from and more challenging than swimming in a pool. Swimmers need to cope with things like reduced visibility, uneven surfaces, currents, and undertows, so supervision is even more crucial. Swim near a lifeguard if possible, but remember that you should not rely on a lifeguard as a sole source of supervision.

If you have a pool

Having a backyard pool can be great family fun, but it also comes with responsibility. Pools are attractive nuisances, and need to be secured to prevent accidents and so that kids can’t swim without permission. If you have a pool, you should also be sure your homeowners insurance has sufficient liability coverage to protect you from a lawsuit if a guest is injured while swimming.

When it comes time to buy or renew homeowners insurance, please call Lakewood Financial Services at 941-747-4600. Our agents have many years of experience finding the best homeowners insurance policies for our clients’ unique needs. We can also write insurance for all your toys: boats, RVs, personal watercraft, and more! Call or contact us online today.

Water safety resources:

American Red Cross videos for kids

National Drowning Prevention Alliance water safety toolkit