June 19, 2025 | It’s summer and that means a lot of us will be heading to the pool, the lake or the ocean to swim. Swimming is great exercise and a helpful stress reliever but are you aware of what you can do to prevent an accidental drowning? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 10 people in the United States die from unintentional drowning every day. It’s estimated that another 5 to 10 people receive hospital-related care for non-fatal drowning injuries for every fatal drowning victim. Children 5 to 17 years old are more likely to drown in natural water, such as ponds or lakes. Many of these deaths and injuries could have been avoided if more Americans had basic swimming skills and the ability to perform CPR. Those two things, and properly fitting life jackets, can make the difference in a life-or-death situation. Formal swimming lessons have been shown to reduce the risk of drowning by up to 88 percent.

June 19, 2025 | If you are going to be on the water this summer, don’t forget the sunscreen. And a life jacket. Modern life jackets come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Many are thin and flexible. Some are built into fishing vests or hunter coats. Others are inflatable, as compact as a scarf until they hit water, when they automatically fill with air. Every state in this country has regulations regarding life jacket wear by children and to meet Coast Guard requirements, every boat must have a Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person aboard. You should know that adult-sized life jackets will not work for children. To work correctly, a life jacket must be worn, fit snugly, and not allow the child’s chin or ears to slip through. Jackets should be tested for wear and buoyancy at least once each year. Be sure that your life jackets are properly stowed and easily accessible. Remember, the best life jacket is one that you will wear.

June 19, 2025 | During drowning, the body is deprived of oxygen, which can damage organs, particularly the lungs and brain. For this reason, a physician will evaluate a non-fatal drowning victim for oxygen deprivation and problems that often accompany drowning, such as spinal injuries caused by diving. Submersion in cold water has both good and bad effects. Cooling of the muscles makes swimming difficult, and a dangerously low body temperature can impair judgment. Cold, however, protects tissues from the effects of oxygen deprivation. In addition, cold water may stimulate the mammalian diving reflex. The diving reflex slows the heartbeat and redirects the flow of blood from the hands, feet, and intestines to the heart and brain, helping to preserve these vital organs. The diving reflex is more pronounced in children, so they have a greater chance of surviving prolonged submersion in cold water than adults.

June 19, 2025 | When it comes to an aquatic emergency, every second counts. It is important to recognize if a swimmer is in distress or drowning. In both instances, the swimmer needs help immediately. A swimmer in distress may still try to swim but makes little or no forward progress. If not helped, a swimmer in distress will soon become a drowning victim. An active drowning victim may be vertical in the water but unable to move forward or tread water. An active drowning victim may try to press down with the arms at the side in an instinctive attempt to keep the head above the water. A passive drowning victim is motionless and floating face down on the bottom or near the surface of the water. And remember the safety rule “reach or throw, don’t go.” That means don’t venture into the water to save someone. Have safety equipment like ring buoys or reaching poles nearby as well as a cell phone to call 9-1-1.

June 19, 2025 | If your child has suffered a non-fatal drowning, the first thing you should do after getting them out of the water is to check to see if he or she is breathing on their own. If not, begin CPR immediately. If someone else is present, send him or her to call for emergency medical help, and don’t waste time trying to drain water from the child’s lungs. Concentrate instead on giving the child rescue breathing and CPR until they are breathing on their own. Only when the child’s breathing has resumed should you stop and seek emergency help. Once the paramedics arrive, they will administer oxygen and continue CPR if necessary. Any child who has come close to drowning should be given a complete medical examination. If the child stopped breathing, inhaled water, or lost consciousness, they should remain under medical observation for at least 24 hours to be sure that there is no damage to their respiratory or nervous system.