As the weather gets nicer we start thinking of all the great activities to do outside, and in a community like Albert Lea, there are many things to do around the water: boating, fishing, water skiing, swimming, etc. Parents need to remember, however, that water can be both fun and dangerous. According to the Centers for Disease Control, an average of ten people died every day from drowning in 2005. It was the cause of death in 30 percent of all deaths occurring to children between the ages of 1 and 4, and 25 percent of all drowning victims were children age 14 or under. Though the numbers of these children have been decreasing slightly over the last few years, even one drowning is an unnecessary tragedy. In addition, for each death caused by drowning, there were four more children who required emergency medical care for non-fatal submersion injuries.

Considering how much of our summer recreation time is spent on and around water, parents need to be extra vigilant when they and their children are around water. Parents can do many things to help make sure their children stay safe as they enjoy aquatics activities.

Be with your child: Children who cannot swim should always have a parent or responsible person in the water within an arm’s reach, regardless of whether they are using flotation. While flotation devices can save lives, flotation is never an alternative to parental supervision. This is especially true if you are at a location where there are no lifeguards present. A person may struggle at the surface for as little as 20 seconds before they are unable to keep their head or face above the water, and even if the victim does not die, irreversible brain damage can occur in as little as two minutes, especially in children.

Always wear a lifejacket when boating: Children and adults alike should always wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket when boating. Even if a person knows how to swim, a life jacket will help keep the head and face out of the water if a person looses consciousness from an accident such as falling out of a boat. Just like buckling your seat belt in a car, putting on a lifejacket should be done every time, and parents should be the model of the rule; not the exception.

Learn CPR: Seconds count in any life threatening emergency. One of the easiest ways to be prepared for an aquatics emergency is to learn basic CPR. The American Red Cross regularly offers classes so that anyone can learn to perform CPR on an infant, child or adult.

Make sure your child knows how to swim: Many communities in our area have facilities that teach swimming lessons during the summer or even year round. Some facilities offer swimming lessons for children as young as 6 months of age. Check with your local pool or aquatics facility to find out about their swimming lessons.

As the summer approaches and we enjoy time with our families and friends around water, be sure to have a safe and healthy time.

Statistics taken from www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafetv/Water-Safetv/waterinjuries-factsheet.htm

Steve Patten

Youth Program Director

Albert Lea Family Y

Albert Lea