Every Sunday, we will share a story of a non-fatal drowning, discuss where things went wrong, and give some pointers on how to prevent it from happening to the people you love. Thankfully, these stories have happy endings for those involved, but sadly, we lose too many people to drowning every year. We hope examining these real-life stories help put the dangers of water into perspective and help you introduce various principles of water safety to your family!
Today’s story includes an actual video of an officer making a water rescue in a natural body of water. Make sure to watch the entire video clip for discussion on differences between swimming in pools versus natural bodies of water!
Some additional items to consider when swimming in a natural body of water include:
(1) Do you have an easy entry/exit point to the water? Swimmers should be able to enter and exit the water on their own (example: don’t lower children down into water off of a ledge)
(2) How long would it take emergency personnel to respond? This is especially important if there isn’t a lifeguard on a duty.
(3) Does someone know where you are? Someone other than those actively swimming with you should know where you intend to swim in case an emergency happens and a search needs to be conducted.
And of course, always remember to wear an approved life jacket for your swimming activity when swimming in a natural body of water! Check out our article about choosing the right life jacket here:
The Lowdown on Life Jackets: https://www.parentspreventingchildhooddrowning.com/post/the-lowdown-on-life-jackets
Remember there are differences between swimming in a pool versus a natural body of water. Have fun, be safe, and make it back home!
Comentarios