Most drownings involving young children occur in residential settings. Children under the age of five years do not struggle in the water. They can drown without making a sound.
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Drowning Prevention Tips at Home, Pool, or Other Sites:
- Learn to swim yourself and have your child learn to swim. Learn life-saving skills, including swimming basics and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
- Be prepared. Have rescue equipment at home, post 9-1-1 emergency information, and think through an emergency action plan.
- Never leave a child unsupervised in a bathtub, even for a second. Most siblings are not old enough to properly supervise a young child in this situation.
- Never leave a child alone near a pool/spa, toilet, water-filled bucket, pond, or any standing body of water.
- Empty all tubs, buckets, containers and kiddie pools immediately after use. Store them upside down so they don’t collect water.
- upside down so they don’t collect water.
- Close toilet lids and use toilet seat locks to prevent drowning. Keep doors to bathrooms and laundry rooms closed.
- Make sure kids learn these five water survival skills and that they are able to:
- step or jump into water over their heads and return to the surface;
- float or tread water for one minute;
- turn around in a full circle and find an exit;
- swim 25 yards to exit the water; and
- exit the water. If in a pool, be able to exit without using the ladder
- Teach children that swimming in open water is not the same as swimming in a pool. They need to be aware of uneven surfaces, river currents, ocean undertow and changing weather.
- An unclimbable, five-foot fence should separate the pool/spa from the residence. Fence openings should be no more than four inches wide so children cannot squeeze through the spaces.
- The fence gate should be self-closing and selflatching with latches above a child’s reach.
- Never rely on flotation devices or swimming lessons to protect a child.
- Don’t allow children to play in the pool/spa area. Never keep toys around or in a pool.
- Avoid swimming after dark.
- Risk for drowning increases in muddy water of lakes, ponds, and rivers.
- Avoid weak or thawing ice on any body of water.
- Diving into shallow water can cause spinal injuries. Never allow diving in above-ground pools, shallow water, or unknown areas.
- Be aware of local weather conditions prior to engaging in recreational water activities.
- Use the buddy system when swimming or boating.
- Require all persons to wear Coast Guard approved personal flotation devices when involved in water-related recreational activities, regardless of swimming ability.
- Avoid using alcohol or other drugs prior to and during recreational water activities.
- Assign an adult to be a “Water Watcher” who is responsible for actively supervising children in and around water even if a lifeguard is present.
For more information, please visit the following websites:
For more information about child drowning deaths, visit https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/content/uploads/sites/18/2021/10/2019-Drowning-Report.pdf
Developed through the collaborative partnership with the VDH Office of Environmental Health and Environmental Epidemiology, learn more:
About learning lifesaving skills in the water by visiting here: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/environmental-health/environmental-health-services/swim-healthy/learn-lifesaving-skills/
About drowning by visiting here: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/environmental-health/environmental-health-services/swim-healthy/draft-drowning-prevention/
About VDH’s Healthy Swimming Week 2022 by visiting here: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/environmental-health/healthy-and-safe-swimming-summer-2022-toolkit/
- YMCA
- American Red Cross
- Consumer Product Safety Commission Neighborhood Safety Network
- National Safety Council
- Safe Kids USA
- Consumer Product Safety Commission. Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act; Water Watchers.
To learn more about the Consumer Product Safety Commission “Pool Safely” campaign, visit https://www.poolsafely.gov/
To order “Pool Safely” materials, visit https://www.poolsafely.gov/educational-materials-catalog/