Texas is known for being hot, really hot, especially during the summertime. With our scorching temperatures, it’s no wonder why Texans love to cool off by taking a dip in a swimming pool, a lake, a river, or even the ocean.
Swimming truly is a fun recreational activity and a great way cool down while getting physical exercise, but it can also be extremely dangerous. Each year when the temperatures outside heat up, Texas emergency responders and hospitals see a surge in drowning and near-drowning accidents. To help your family stay safe while swimming, it’s important to follow the following advice.
Stay Safe This Summer!
Next time you go swimming, be sure to follow these swimming safety tips:
- Always supervise children when they are swimming, even if they are good swimmers.
- Make sure all members of your household learn how to swim well, even adults. If you have children, make sure they take swimming lessons until they are very comfortable around water and can swim exceptionally.
- When watching children swim, don’t drink alcohol and don’t engage in distracting activities like scrolling through your phone or reading.
- Swim only where lifeguards are present but don’t rely on lifeguards to watch your kids. Lifeguards can get distracted and not notice a drowning child.
- Never trust a child to watch another child around water.
- Remember, children can drown in just a few inches of water. An infant can drown in a bucket of water or when there are only a few inches of water in the bathtub. So, never leave small children unattended around water.
- When boating, always wear a properly-fitted lifejacket.
- If you have a backyard pool, make sure it’s surrounded by proper barriers. According to the Red Cross, many of the children who drown in home pools were in the care of one or both parents and out of sight for less than five minutes – don’t lose sight of your kids!
- If your child goes missing near water, check the water immediately. Seconds can mean life or death with a drowning accident.
- Stay hydrated when swimming in the heat. Drink lots of water and avoid alcohol and caffeine, which are dehydrating.
We hope you found these tips useful. If you or someone you love has been injured in a drowning or swimming pool accident, contact our firm to meet with a Plano personal injury attorney at (888) 493-6529.