Oregon is home to some of the most beautiful ocean beaches, rivers, and lakes anywhere, not to mention thousands of swimming pools.  These endless possibilities for recreation come at a price: drowning is leading cause of death among children and young adults. As with most injuries, a little awareness can prevent a lot of tragedy.

The Problem

Protecting Your Children

Open Water

Despite a substantial decline since the late 1980s, drowning is still the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death in children ages 14 and under, and accounts for more than on-fourth of all deaths of children aged 1-4.

• More than 1,000 children drown each year.
• More than 5,000 children are hospitalized for a near-drowning
• Another 20,000 are treated in emergency rooms for near-drowning incidents (source: CDC)
• Near-drownings can cause severe permanent brain injury.

Drowning is a quick and silent killer! In the time it takes to:

• Cross the room for a towel (10 seconds), a child in the bathtub can become submerged.
• Answer the phone (2 minutes), a child submerged in the bathtub can lose consciousness.
• Sign for a package at your front door (4-6 minutes), a child submerged in the bathtub or pool can sustain permanent brain damage.

Why kids are at risk

Most drownings and near-drownings occur in residential swimming pools. More than half of these take place in the child's home pool, and one-third occur at the homes of friends, neighbors or relatives.  But it doesn't take a pool to create a lethal hazard: young children can drown in as little as one inch of water.  This puts them at risk of drowning in wading pools, bathtubs, buckets, diaper pails, toilets, spas and hot tubs.

Other risk factors:

• The majority of children who drown in swimming pools were last seen in the home, had been out of sight for less than five minutes, and were in the care of one or both parents at the time.
• In-ground swimming pools without complete four-sided isolation fencing are 60 percent more likely to be involved in drownings than those with four-sided isolation fencing.
• Drownings and near-drownings tend to occur on weekends (40%) and between the months of May and August (66%).
• Older children are more likely to drown in open water sites, such as lakes, rivers and oceans.

Additional information from the National Drowning Prevention Alliance

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Protecting Your Children

A child should never be unsupervised in or near water, even shallow wading pools. Devices (such as bathtub seats or water wings) can not be relied upon to keep them afloat and alive.

Eliminate the hazards that you can and minimize the rest:

• Children should learn to swim. Enroll them in swimming lessons taught by qualified instructors when they are ready, usually after age four.  If you don't know how to swim, sign up with your kids!
• Swimming alone is dangerous: always swim with a buddy or under supervision.
• Empty all buckets, containers and wading pools immediately after use. Store them upside-down and out of children's reach.
• Knowing how to swim isn't "drown-proofing!" Always wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved personal safety device near the ocean, rivers, lakes or when participating in water sports.
• Do not let children dive into water unless the child has learned proper diving techniques, an adult is present, and the depth of the water is greater than nine feet.
• Adults and kids over age 13 should learn infant and child CPR.
• Know which of your child's friends and neighbors have pools. Make sure your child will be supervised by an adult while visiting.
• Install four-sided isolation fencing at least five feet high, equipped with self-closing and self-latching gates, around home swimming pools.
• Keep a telephone and emergency numbers by the pool, along with rescue equipment - and learn how to use it!.
• Pool alarms and pool covers can offer an extra layer of protection, however, do not rely on them to keep your kids safe; they should be used in conjunction with fencing and constant supervision.

American Academy of Pediatrics: Drowning Prevention Protecting Your Children

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Open Water

Summer is a great time to enjoy local waterways: the best trip is one everyone comes home from.

 

 

 

TVF&R's Water Rescue Team's Safety Tips:

• Use the buddy system - never swim alone.
• Avoid alcohol and drugs.
•  Watch for the dangerous "toos" - too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun, too much activity.  Take frequent breaks.
• Always supervise children.
• Young children should always wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket (pillow and handle-type); Adults should have or wear an approved life jacket when boating or fishing.
• Be aware of currents, changing waves, and undertows.
• Know your swimming limits. Keep an eye on weaker swimmers.
• Don't dive in shallow water or in unfamiliar areas.
• Have a cell phone in case of an emergency.
• Learn CPR!

If You See or Hear Someone in Trouble

• Call 911 immediately - time is of the essence!
• Try to throw the victim a flotation device, but don't become a victim yourself.
• Use landmarks to determine where you last saw the victim and where you are standing so you can take rescue crews back to the site.
• Take notice of the victim's clothing.
• Encourage other bystanders to stay on the scene

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