Drowning is the second most common injury death for children under the age of 14.¹ A child can drown in less than two minutes after its head goes under water.  That leaves little time to provide help.

In 2005, there were 172 emergency department visits, 39 hospitalizations, and 77 deaths related to drowning-related injuries in Maryland.²

GENERAL SAFETY TIPS

• Learn to swim.  Everyone over the age of four should enroll in a swimming class.
• Never swim alone.
• Do not chew gum or eat while swimming, diving, or playing in the water.
• Do not drink alcohol while swimming, boating, or water skiing.  Alcohol consumption contributes to about 25 to 50 percent of water related deaths.¹
• Do not use air-filled swimming aids, such as water wings, in place of life jackets or life preservers with children.  Water wings do not prevent drowning and give a false sense of security.
• Do not swim if there is a thunderstorm impending.
• Adults should take a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) course, to learn basic life-saving techniques in case of an emergency.  Contact the Red Cross to enroll, www.redcross.org. 

POOLS

Among children ages 1 to 4 years, most drownings occur in residential swimming pools.  Most young children who drowned in pools were last seen in the home, had been out of sight less than five minutes, and were in the care of one or both parents at the time.¹

• A four-sided, isolation gate with self-closing and self-latching gates that open outward should surround the pool.  The fence should be at least four feet high and should completely separate the pool from the house and play area of the yard.¹
• Install a telephone near the pool.
• Keep basic life saving equipment, such as a pole, rope, and throw-able personal flotation device by the pool.  Be sure that everyone knows how to use them.

BEACH

Beaches provide endless fun, but safety is an important consideration.

• Wear a swimsuit with highly visible colors and stay within the designated swimming area so that the lifeguard can always see you.
• Avoid piers, pilings, and diving platforms when in the water, as well as patches of plants or other aquatic life.
• If you are caught in a rip current (water that is discolored, choppy, foamy, and filled with debris), swim parallel to the shore.  Once you are out of the current, swim toward the shore.

BOATING

In 2005, the U.S. Coast Guard received reports for 4,969 boating incidents; 3,451 participants were reported injured, and 697 died in boating incidents. Among those who drowned, 87 percent were not wearing life jackets.¹

• Always wear a life jacket with the U.S. Coast Guard seal of approval.
• Have an approved flotation device attached to a long rope on board.
• Be aware of the weather report, and pay attention because the weather may quickly change.

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDS

Children under age one most often drown in bathtubs, buckets, or toilets.¹

• Never leave a child alone or in the care of another child in a bathtub.
• Set your water heater thermostat so that the hottest temperature at the faucet is 120 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid burns.
• Empty buckets, pals, or ice chests that have sitting water in them.
• Close the lid on toilets.
• Be careful around hot tubs, spas, and whirlpools.
• Keep children away from irrigation ditches, postholes, and wells.
• Watch children closely when near fishponds or fountains.

References: