May is Water Safety Month

May is Water Safety Month, and pool season is just around the corner!

In partnership with the Association of Aquatic Professionals, High Sierra Pools wants everyone to R.E.S.P.E.C.T. the water.  This simple acronym gives us actionable steps to stay safe while having fun at the pool – whether your community pool or a backyard pool – and in and around any body of water.

Drowning is fast and silent, and most importantly – it’s PREVENTABLE. The key is R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Recognition: recognize the signs of non-swimmers, tired swimmers, distressed swimmers, and potentially unsafe situations.

• A distressed swimmer is not moving forward; arms are dragging, looks tired, possibly has hair in the face, and CAN call for help.
• A drowning person would have their head back and looking up, and their body is straight with no leg movements, arms are reaching to the side or front, eyes look scared, and they CANNOT call for help.

Education: learn what factors can lead to drowning. It is crucial to understand that drowning is a real threat to anyone, anywhere, anytime. You should get familiar with your environment, conditions, and hazards of the water and the condition of the swimmer.

Supervision: should be active, direct, and constant. While lifeguards undergo professional training to act in case of an emergency, their duties do not include babysitting children in the pool or by the water. Assign an adult to watch children and stay within an arm’s reach of non-swimmers. Have a phone available for emergencies, but do not talk, text, or surf the internet while on Water Guardian duty.  If you need to leave for any reason, pass your responsibility to someone.

Physical Barriers:  Be safer in and around water by wearing correctly fitted life jackets. Ensure that you don’t use foam or air-filled toys (water wings, inner tubes, noodles) in place of U.S. Coast guard-approved life jackets.  Other physical barriers should include fencing, safety covers, and alarms.

Expectations: Understand what to expect from the aquatic environment and the body’s response. Know your and your child’s limits. Be aware of all the risks and hazards.

Communication: Warn and inform family, friends, and guests about the dangers present in and around the water.

 Training:  Learn how to respond to an emergency and ensure you and family members how to swim. Participation in formal swim lessons was associated with an 88% reduction in the risk of drowning in 1-4-year-old children. Having a water safety plan in place can help everyone enjoy their time at the pool.

The sad truth is that fatal drowning is the leading cause of death for children 1-4, and the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children 5-14, behind motor vehicle crashes.

But by working together to recognize, prevent, and respond to unsafe conditions at the pool, we can all have a fun and safe summer.

For more information, visit National Water Safety Month.