Are you a “Water Watcher”? You should be!
Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
Memorial Day is the unofficial start of the summer. Memorial Day seems to toss a switch in all of us to seek out grilling and summer fun. The top of the summer fun list seems to always involve water one way or another. So, it is no surprise that Safe Kids USA coincides the launch of it’s annual Water Safety Campaign with Memorial Day.
If you look at nothing else in this year’s campaign, look at this:
The text reads:
“While wearing this tag, I agree to
supervise the children in the open water
or pool, keeping them in sight at all times.
I will not leave the water area
without finding an adult to replace me.”
A great way to remind you and the adults around you that kids in water need to be supervised at all times. As Safe Kids USA points out, drowning is the second leading cause of injury-related death in kids ages 1-14. Kids can drown in an inch of water and lose consciousness silently in only 2 minutes. Irreversible brain damage occurs in only 4-6 minutes. And, all this can be prevented with good supervision.
In addition to reminding adults to be more vigilant, Safe Kids USA has launched a new campaign called Kids Don’t Float. This safety campaign is aimed at keeping kids safe in the open waters by having personal flotation device loaning stations throughout the country.
According to Safe Kids USA,
“In 2004, 55 percent of children ages 14 and under who drowned in reported boating accidents were not wearing life jackets.
It is estimated that 85 percent of boating-related drownings could have been prevented if the victim had been wearing a life jacket.”
While 45 states have laws requiring kids under 14 to wear flotation devices while boating, these laws are hard to enforce so it is up to us parents to make sure our kids are safe. Keep in mind, though, that in open waters it doesn’t matter how competent a swimmer anyone is. If a boat capsizes, the only real protection is that personal flotation device - so, be a good role model and wear one yourself. Click here to learn more about flotation devices for kids.
Whether swimming or riding a boat, the water can be great fun - but safety does have to come first.
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