In Virginia, at least eight children under the age of 5 have accidentally drowned in Virginia swimming pools since Memorial Day. That’s more than the total number of drowning deaths in each of the last three years, according to Arlington County’s Department of Health.
In Arlington, there have been at least two reported near drownings of children.
The department put out a statement on how to keep kids safe around water this summer.
“Unlike the movies where people splash around and make a big scene, often times when people drown they just slip under the water, and it doesn’t take a long time,” said Kim Brunette, the department’s assistant division director.
To help reverse the trend, the department published a list of safety items that parents should heed to keep their kids safe around the water.
Most important in that list is that parents keep a laser focus on their children when they are at a pool or the beach.
“Really paying attention to your kids at all times is one of the key things,” Brunette said. “And definitely not let your kids go in the water alone, and if it’s a very small child, making sure you keep them within arm’s reach.”
Another thing that helps is swimming classes.
“Get your kids enrolled in swim classes and learn about the dangers of water,” Brunette said. “Everybody thinks it’s super fun, and it definitely is, but there is that danger factor there that a small child isn’t necessarily going to appreciate. So, that is really on the adults that are with them to recognize that and keep those kids safe.”
Drowning is one of the leading causes of child death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More children ages 1 to 4 in the U.S. die from drowning than any other cause of death, the CDC said. In children between the ages of 5 and 14, drowning is the second leading unintentional cause of death, behind car crashes.
In Maryland, there have been four reported drowning incidents, including two boys who died after being taken from a pool in Caroline County on June 29.
In addition to active supervision of children when around water, Brunette recommends the following:
- Learn CPR.
- Wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets. She said “floaties,” arm band and water wings are toys, not safety devices. Kids using them still need close supervision.
- Never let children swim alone or at night.
- Make sure the pool you select has safety features, such as a lifeguard, throwable life preservers and fences.
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