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| Summer safety in the water
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With most Australians spending a large part of their summer in and around water of some description it's important to be water safe… this includes knowing how to prevent drowning. Know how to spot a child in trouble at the beach or pool.
With summer holidays around the corner, it's time to make sure you and your child are ready for the water. Sadly in Australia, children under five are still at huge risk from drowning, particularly in swimming pools where they account for 36% of all drownings.
26 children between the ages of 0 and 4 years drowned in Australia between 1 July 2014 and 30 June 2015 - an increase of 6 drowning deaths (or 30%) on last year's total of 20 drowning deaths.
Swimming pools were the leading location for drowning in this age group, accounting for over half (54%), almost three times that of the next most common location. Falls into water accounted for the vast majority of drowning deaths in this age group (81%). This was followed by bathing which claimed the lives of three children in 2014/15.
The safety of kids in pools relies on adult supervision, awareness about the risks of having small children near water and appropriate safety measures such as pool gates.
In the summertime it's very easy to relax but even the tiniest lapse in vigilance can be fatal, especially when it comes to small children who are not yet proficient or confident swimmers.
There's no substitute for parent vigilance and of course no child should be left unattended in any pool or sea, but water confidence and awareness of the dangers of water can go a long way to preventing accidents and drownings in backyard pools and the sea.
How to spot a child in trouble
It's also well documented that toddlers simply let themselves drown. So it's imperative that all family members and friends know what to look out for when someone is in danger.
Readers Digest recently published the following 8 Quiet Signs of Someone Drowning:
- A drowning person can't call for help—she has to be able to breathe before she can speak. When a person is drowning, her mouth sinks below and reappears above the surface of the water. There isn't time for her to exhale, inhale, and call out.
- She can't wave for help either. A drowning person instinctively extends her arms to the sides and presses down to lift her mouth out of the water; a child may extend her arms forward. She can't use her arms to move toward a rescuer or reach for rescue equipment.
- A drowning person remains upright in the water, with no evidence of kicking. She can struggle for only 20 to 60 seconds before going under.
- Eyes are glassy, unable to focus, or closed.
- Hair may be over forehead or eyes.
- Head is low in the water, with mouth at water level; head may be tilted back with mouth open. A child's head may fall forward.
- Sometimes the most important indicator that someone is drowning is that they don't look like they're drowning. She may just seem to be looking up at the sky, shore, pool deck, or dock. Ask her, "Are you all right?" If she can answer at all, she probably is. If she returns a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to get to her.
- Children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you need to get to them and find out why.
It's vital that kids are taught to swim at an early age; wear appropriate swim aids in the water that enable them to move freely and learn strokes properly; and that they receive education in water safety from parents, carers or swimming instructors or other professionals.
Most preschools and child care services usually have some sort of program or lessons on water safety for young children. In Australia water safety goes hand-in-hand with road safety and stranger danger.
If your centre doesn't have a scheduled program or lessons in water safety – put that in the suggestion box. It's easy to organize with one of the local representatives of Austswim, Surf Life Saving or even a local swimming instructor.
Top Tips For Pool & Beach Safety
- Simply NEVER leave your young children in a pool or near water of any kind unattended. If you have to pop inside for any reason ensure that someone else is watching the children.
- NEVER prop open pool gates. This is hugely dangerous.
- MAKE SURE YOUR POOL GATES WORK PROPERLY. They should self-shut easily and quickly. No time for little people to sneak in unwatched.
- TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBOURS and make sure their pools are also secure and pool gates work properly. Many pool deaths actually occur in neighbours' pools, not those of the families involved.
- Ensure young children wear a floatation device whenever they are around any type of water.
- It's never too early to learn to swim. Get your children swim safe as early as possible.
- Teach children how to look out for each other and know how to raise the alarm if they think one of their friends is in trouble.
Go to www.austswim.com.au to find your nearest teacher or aquatic facility.
For more information on swim safety go to:
www.dsr.nsw.gov.au/swimandsurvive or
www.royallifesaving.com.au
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