Texas had five reported child deaths due to drowning in May. Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children ages 1-4.
Unfortunately the Lone Star State was ranked among the top three states for the last two years, for children drowning in pools and spas.
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It’s paramount to learn pool safety, take extra precaution with younger children and teach kids about safety rules.
Drain covers
If a drain cover is broken or missing, it should be repaired immediately and the pool/spa should not be used until it’s fixed.
Hair can get caught in broken and faulty drain covers, causing drowning if you’re unable to detangle yourself.
Missing drain covers create suction issues that could trap an adult or a child. Any body part that can cover a drain can be held down by the powerful suction of a pool drain without a cover.
Sitting on a faulty drain can cause disembowelment, according to Poolsafely.gov.
Stay alert
Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and any other openings. Check the pool first if a child is missing.
It’s especially important to check filters before getting in a pool or spa with all the recent rain in the area. Water snakes could be lurking in dark or shaded areas of a pool.
Establish rules with kids before getting in the water.
Safety tips
Learning to swim is important, so teach children to swim and help them if they aren’t strong swimmers.
It’s important to know how to perform CPR properly in case of an emergency.
Local YMCA’s offer CPR training courses. Keep life rings and other flotation devices nearby and ready for use.
For more information and resources regarding pool safety visit PoolSafely.gov.
The Centers for Disease Control also offers information on how to prevent unintentional drownings.
According to the CDC, about ten people die from unintentional drowning every day.
Of those reported drownings, two are children aged 14 or younger.