Gwen Rummell Reporting – As the weather gets hotter during the summer, more people are looking towards swimming to cool off.
The summertime sees increased amounts of improper safety around bodies of water and risks of drowning. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, every year, there is an estimated 4,000 fatal unintentional drownings and 8,000 nonfatal drownings.
Dover Fire Captain Brooks Ross advises the public to keep unattended pools closed and always wear a lifejacket when out boating or swimming.
“When you’re not around your pool, if you own a pool, to make sure it’s secure enough that no one can get into that while you are away. Then with lifejackets, this is probably the most important thing you can wear.”
Parents can also take the safety precaution of teaching their kids how to swim when they are young. Captain Ross says teaching children how to swim early provides them with the knowledge on how to survive in a frightening situation.
“Once you learn that lesson, it’s like riding a bicycle, you don’t forget. The big thing is to stay calm when you are in the water. So swim lessons teaches you that and that way if you do have a young child that gets themselves into a situation where they’re unsupervised and falls into a pool, it won’t turn into a tragedy.”
Backyard swimming pools also pose a fatal risk to pets and wild animals. Around the pool, you can build a fence to keep out larger animals. Inside the pool, you can build a textured ramp in a shallow area and affix a knotted synthetic rope for climbing animals.
To learn more about water safety, visit redcross.org or cdc.gov.
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