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What is Water Safety?

Water safety refers to the procedures, precautions and policies associated with safety in, on, and around bodies of water, where there is a risk of injury or drowning.

Why is water safety important? Fish are able to live and breathe in water, but people need air to breathe. People drown when too much water gets into their lungs...But, accidents can happen anywhere--

The first rule of water safety when at the ocean is to be careful of underwater currents and the wave action. Never run and dive in head first! Don't swim in rivers where fast-moving water is extremely dangerous and currents are hard to gauge and ALWAYS wear a life jacket!

 

 

Remember These Top Safety Tips: 

Tragic accidents happen all the time, and while it may be impossible to protect you or your family from ever having an accident, there are things you can do to reduce your risk. In the summer when you’re out doing water-related activities, keep these safety tips in mind to try to keep you and your loved ones from harm.

Swimming in a Pool
Swimming is one of those quintessential summer activities. When it’s hot and humid out, nothing feels quite as good as going to the pool and taking a dip. But if you have young children it can be dangerous, so it’s important to follow these tips to keep safe around the water:

Only swim in areas deemed safe that are supervised by lifeguards.Don’t swim alone or allow anyone else to. 

Take your children to swim lessons so they can learn how to swim.Don’t leave children unsupervised around the water.

Don’t trust children to supervise other children around water.

Don’t drink alcohol when you swim.

If you own a pool, put a fence around it or a cover with an alarm.

Keep young children within arm’s reach.

Don’t keep toys in the pool for young children to be attracted to.Get CPR certified in case of an emergency.

Swimming in a Lake, River or Ocean
If you live near a lake or an ocean and frequent the beach to go swimming, you should also keep these safety tips in mind:

When swimming in rivers or lakes, the murky water can make it difficult to find people who go under. If you swim in a place with a strong current, such as where two rivers meet, it can be easy to be pulled under and swept away. Understand where you’re swimming and take precautions.

Wear a life jacket – It’s important when you’re out on the water to wear an appropriately fitting life jacket in case you get tossed unexpectedly into the water. This goes for children too.

Get prepared – Make sure you check the weather conditions on a day you will be out, and always make sure you have a cell phone handy as well as someone with you who can perform CPR if needed.

Share with your kids – Talk to your children about the dangers of being in open water and tell them what to do in case of an emergency!