Water Safety for Children

A high risk of water-related injuries exists in babies and children because they are mobile and curious.  Adults should provide constant and close supervision when children are near water.

Drowning is a silent killer and can happen in as little as ten seconds with access to as little as 2.5 cm (one inch) of water. A higher risk of drowning occurs in children under the age of five.

Protect your child from drowning at home:

• Stay with your child when you’re bathing them.
• Never leave your baby alone in the bathtub with an older sibling. Bathtub rings are not safe for babies.
• Never leave children unsupervised around toilets and keep toilet lids closed.

Protect your child from drowning at play:

• Be within arm’s reach when swimming — lifejackets and water wings are not a replacement for supervision.
• Supervise children closely around water, including lakes, rivers, ponds, wells, open postholes, and irrigation or drainage ditches.
• Use appropriate safety equipment such as lifejackets as an extra layer of protection.
• If you have a backyard pool or hot tub, install gate fencing around it. Fencing should be at least 120 cm (four feet) high.
• Don’t allow underwater play in a hot tub. Hot tub and spa jets and drains can suck hair in, trapping a child underwater. Explain to children that hot tubs and spas aren’t swimming pools or places for active play.
• Know where the pump cutoff switch is located so that it can be turned off in an emergency.

Prevention:

• Learn how to swim if you don’t know how. Become certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
• Enroll your child into swimming lessons. Even if your child knows how to swim, never leave them alone near water. Supervision is the best way to prevent drowning.