A Moment of Attention on Water Safety

BY ROSE CHOLEWINSKI

OWNER SWIMAMERICA DAVIS

Just a moment sweetie!” How “ many times has your child asked for your attention and you’ve said, “just a sec” while you finish up another small task?

As a local swim school owner, long-time swim coach and a parent, I assure you that when it comes to pools and water, you don’t have a “moment.” That’s because water emergencies happen quickly and quietly.

Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children under 5, and in the majority of incidents, one or both parents was present. In 75% of drowning incidents, the child was missing for less than 5 minutes. Just a sec.

We’ve already seen one water incident in our community this spring, and as families start to enjoy backyard and public pools as the weather warms, it’s not too soon to spend a moment on water safety.

SwimAmerica Davis teaches the Safer 3 Water Safety Foundation’s program, a multi-layered educational effort focused on the three primary areas of water safety: Safer Water, Safer People, and Safer Response. • “Safer Water” focuses on using fencing, gate latches, alarms and other safety equipment around pools and boats. • “Safer People” stresses the importance of having constant responsible adult supervision around the water and learning proper swim skills. • “Safer Response” addresses the importance of learning CPR, first aid and other rescue and emergency response techniques, as well as having a phone by the pool at all times.

WHAT CAN YOU DO? SUPERVISE YOUNG CHILDREN AT ARM’S LENGTH

Young children and non-swimmers need to be supervised within arm’s length around all water – swimming pools, wading pools, lakes and rivers. What exactly is arm’s length? My arm measures about 2 ½ feet, so it means you are sticking very close to your child. And yes, it probably means that you will need to get in the pool. I encourage you to enjoy this time with your child! Swimming is fabulous family time – and probably one of the precious “unplugged” moments you have with your child these days. As an added bonus, according to First 5 California, the more you talk and sing to your preschooler, the more prepared she will be for school. Take advantage of pool time to help your child develop school- readiness – while you keep her safer!

LEARN TO SWIM

You know that your child needs to learn how to swim to help be safer around water. Learning how to roll over and float, as well as to grab onto a wall, could one day save your child’s life. But do you also know how to swim? To be able to supervise your small child properly, you need to be able to get in the pool (and out) yourself. In 2012, a Sacramento father died trying (unsuccessfully) to save his toddler who’d fallen into a backyard pool. He didn’t know how to swim himself. Anyone responsible for your child around water needs to know how to swim. The US Masters Swimming Association has designated April as Adult Learn-to-Swim month to help reduce the risk of drowning in adults. In honor of this month, SwimAmerica Davis is offering a free trial lesson for our adult learn-to-swim clinics.

DESIGNATE A WATER WATCHER

As the weather gets warmer, it’s time for backyard pool parties. Never assume that party guests are paying attention to activity in the pool – even for just a moment. If the host hasn’t hired a trained lifeguard, we recommend a designated “Water Watcher” who will keep undivided attention on the pool. Rotating short Water Watcher shifts is a good way to share the responsibility and stay focused on a very important task. More Water Watcher information is available from SwimAmerica Davis.

That being said, however, if your child is very young or a nonswimmer, you (or a responsible adult) still need to be arm’s length from your child around the pool. Don’t rely on a lifeguard – that’s the last line of defense in an emergency, not arm’s length supervision. There’s no worse feeling as a parent than turning around to realize your child is missing –whether it’s in a mall or near a swimming pool. Nothing can guarantee absolute safety, but if we all take a moment – just a sec – to focus on supervision and swim skills – we can make our families safer this summer and all-year long.

SwimAmerica Davis is committed to creating a caring environment that promotes year-round water safety, fun and fitness. SwimAmerica Davis been offering swim lessons, camps, birthday parties at its indoor, warm-water swim facility since June, 2008. The Safer 3 Water Safety Foundation (formerly Swim for Life Foundation) was chartered in 2003 as a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit corporation in order to give it life beyond the careers of its founders. It was founded by a group of concerned swim school operators that decided to do something positive to prevent drowning while still promoting the value of swimming ability as enrichment to the lives of all people.

CONTACT

Rose Cholewinski SwimAmerica Davis 530-759-1214 www.swimamericadavis.com