With summer’s arrival, people have one thing on their mind: swimming. Every summer thousands of families love to get their feet wet and cool down on a hot day. Since it is a popular activity, swimmers must always be conscious about water safety. People usually know the basic rules of the water, but there is always more to learn. Children are always eager to swim and it is up to adults to remind them about safety before jumping into the water.
While accidents can happen while swimming, the actual water can be just as dangerous. One reminder of water while swimming is this; try to keep the water out of your mouth. Whether it be at the pool or beach they both contain chemicals that can be harmful to anyone’s health. If someone is swimming underwater remember chlorine could harm your eyes. If you notice your eyes are red after swimming it can potentially mean that chlorine burned your eyes and could be infected by the bacteria in the pool.
To keep families safe, while enjoying their swim time, here are some tips to consider. Supervision is key. Adults should watch their kids at all times. If a swimming area has dozens of people you must know where your children are or enact a buddy system. Make sure children know where the nearest lifeguard is so they can stay close to them or know where to go if they need help.
To help prevent drowning, if you cannot swim well or are not tall enough to touch the bottom of a pool, then it is best to be near the walls just in case you need to hold onto something. One statistic from the Center for Disease Control shows that drowning is the cause of unintentional death in children between the ages of 1-4 years old. If you are not a strong swimmer wear a life jacket or inflatable armbands to stay afloat. Do not rely on floating toys like pool noodles.
All swimmers should know their limits. One issue people have is not knowing when to stop for the day. Chances are if you are swimming all day you might pull a muscle and that can cause an accident if you are unattended or in the deep end. One secret misfortune that most people do not know about is dry drowning. Dry drowning occurs when someone breathes in water that makes the vocal chords tighten and can prevent them from breathing. People can notice signs within an hour or up to 24 hours later. This is essential to be aware of because of children that have died from dry drowning.
Out of the water make sure you protect your skin. If your skin burns easily it is wise to wear sunblock and a hat or sunglasses. In some cases, people who constantly get burned eventually can acquire skin cancer later in life.
Most importantly be prepared for an accident. Families should always bring a first aid kit and locate your local lifeguard in case someone gets injured. Phones are now an essential just in case to call 911. It is also beneficial if someone in your group knows CPR when someone has trouble breathing. Having fun in the water is important but being mindful of safety rules is just as important.
Families look forward to swimming in the summer as it is the best way to escape the irritating heat. This fun activity could, in fact, be dangerous and usually, people do not think that accidents can happen to them. Accidents occur more often then people think so it is important that everyone knows basic safety rules while also trying to have good family time in the water.