Splash into Summer by Taking a Deeper Dive with Water Safety
As the end of the school year quicky approaches, children are eagerly looking forward to summer break. Numerous seasonal activities, from camping and cookouts to family vacations and water parks, will likely involve swimming. As the weather heats up, pools, lakes, rivers, and even oceans are often sought out as ideal places to cool off.
Unfortunately, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning remains one of the leading causes of unintentional death among children between the ages of 1 to 14. In the United States, more than 4,000 fatal unintentional drownings occur annually. Drowning can happen in a matter of seconds and is often silent, as water in the airway can block sounds from being made that could signal for help.
With May serving as National Water Safety Month, this is the perfect time to talk with your family about water safety and establish rules for their personal safety in and around water. Here are 10 tips to keep your family safe this summer:
Actively supervise children whenever around water. Stay within arm’s reach of young children while in the water, be alert, and avoid distractions.
Make sure everyone in your family learns basic swimming skills and discuss water safety regularly.
Never swim alone – both children and adults should always swim with a buddy.
Use properly fitted personal flotation devices (PFDs), especially when boating. When selecting a PFD, it is important to remember there is no “one size fits all.” In addition to the fit and buoyancy rating, the type of water activity and water conditions should also play a role in selection. Always check the label inside the life jacket to ensure that it is United States Coast Guard-approved.
Always obey the signs, whether stating important safety rules or identifying potential hazards.
Enter the water feet first (one foot at a time) and never dive into shallow water.
Install fences with self-closing, self-locking gates that fully enclose areas like swimming pools and farm ponds.
Avoid the use of alcohol when swimming, boating, or other water activities. Also, be cautious of side effects of medications when around water that could impair your balance, coordination, or judgement.
Have rescue equipment by the water. If someone is in distress in the water – remember to Reach, Throw, Don’t Go into the water, but Go for Help!
Be proactive and seek training in CPR. These skills could help save someone’s life in the time it takes for paramedics to arrive.
These safety tips are examples of what children and families learn when they attend a Progressive Agriculture Safety Day (PAF Safety Day). Last year, nearly 23,000 youth participants learned water safety lessons at a 2022 PAF Safety Day program in North America. Demonstrations and activities are designed to reinforce safety in and around water are offered using verbal, visual, and hands-on learning experiences.
The “Safety Day Corner” is a safety message by the Progressive Agriculture Foundation® (PAF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, with the mission to provide education, training, and resources to make farm, ranch, and rural life safer and healthier for all children and their communities. Recognized as the largest rural safety and health education program for children in North America, the Foundation’s Progressive Agriculture Safety Day® program, has reached millions of individuals since 1995. For more information about PAF and its programs, visit: www.progressiveag.org.