In Maricopa County between 1998 and 2002, 109 children under the age of 15 drowned, and 36 children nearly drowned. Because many Arizonans have swimming pools, Arizona has one of the highest child drowning rates in the nation.
Children are also at risk around bathtubs, canals, large buckets of water, lakes, etc. Drowning is a quick and silent killer and can happen in a matter of seconds. These tragedies typically occur when a child is left unattended or during a brief lapse in supervision.
Drowning is the leading cause of accidental injury-related death among children ages 1 to 4. It is preventable, and therefore extremely important to take steps to layer your child’s protection around water. Generally, half of drownings among infants occur in bathtubs, half of drownings among children ages 1 to 4 are pool-related, and children ages 5 to 14 most often drown at open-water sites such as rivers, lakes and oceans.
Safety Tips for Parents
- Never leave children alone near water.
- Install fencing that is at least 5 feet high and completely surrounds the pool, equipped with self-closing and self-latching gates.
- Keep rescue equipment, a telephone, and emergency numbers by the pool.
- Children should learn to swim. Enroll them in swimming lessons taught by qualified instructors when they are ready, usually after age 4.
- Keep toilet lids down and use toilet locks.
- Pool alarms and pool covers can offer an extra layer of protection, but do not rely on them to keep your kids safe. They should be used in conjunction with fencing and constant supervision.
- Empty all buckets, containers, and wading pools immediately after use and store them upside-down and out of children’s reach.
- Children should always wear U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets when out on boats. Water winds are not life jackets.
What Parents Should Teach Kids
- Learn how to swim.
- Always swim with a buddy.
- Never run, push, or jump on others around water.
- Always wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket when you are in or near an open body of water, a boat, or participating in water sports.
- Know how to use rescue equipment and where emergency phone numbers are located.