Children have elevated drowning risk: Tips for a safer summer vacation

Memorial Day is here is fast approaching and families are looking forward to summer vacations.

For many, that will include heading to waterparks, pools, spas, or recreational areas that may be in or near water. When doing so, the Prince William County Fire and Rescue System advises families to take the necessary precautions to prevent drownings.

In 2019, an estimated 236,000 people died from drowning, making it a major public health problem, worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

In the U.S., nearly 4,000 deaths occur yearly from drowning. Of those, 800 are children. A small child can drown in just a few centimeters of water as a bucket of water.

The CDC states, that among children, ages 1 to 4, more die from drowning than any other cause of death except birth defects. For children ages 1 to 14, fatal drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death following motor vehicle crashes.

According to a CDC study conducted by Researcher Marianne Spencer, the highest risk locations for drowning vary by age:

• Less than 1 year old: two-thirds drowned in bathtubs
• Ages 1 – 13: a high percentage of deaths occurred in swimming pools
• Ages 14 – 17: drowning occurred in natural waters like lakes, rivers, and oceans

Most fatal submersions occur at residential locations. Of those involving younger children, adults are present, but become distracted, resulting in a lapse of adult supervision.

People assume, that when a person is drowning, they will be able to hear them drowning or know when they are in trouble, but on the contrary, someone struggling to stay afloat and breathe is often unable to wave their arms or call for help; therefore, they drown in silence without attracting attention; drowning is swift and silent.

The Prince William County Fire and Rescue System Chief Tim Keen urges residents to be vigilant in preventing injuries and drownings by taking the following precautions when you and your loved ones are in or near water:

• NEVER leave a child unsupervised near a pool, spa, bathtub, toilet, water-filled bucket, pond, or any standing body of water for even a second!
• ALWAYS designate a responsible adult to be the “Water Watcher” of young children while in and around water. The designated adult should not be involved in other distracting activities, i.e., answering the phone, playing games, etc.
• Install a four-sided, 5-foot fence with a gate. The gate should be self-closing and self-latching (latches should be above a child’s reach). The fence should surround any pool or spa with openings no more than 4 inches wide to prevent children from squeezing through the spaces. For more information visit the Building Development Division and click on Residential Pools, Spas, & Hot Tubs listed under Improvements & Construction.
• DO NOT use flotation devices, i.e., air-filled or foam toys, noodles, or inner tubes in place of life jackets/PFDS (personal flotation devices). Many flotation devices are considered toys and not designed to keep swimmers safe.
• DO NOT allow children to play in and around the pool or spa area. Remove all toys, balls, and floats from around or in a pool.