Drowning Prevention

This summer, across the state, families will take time to appreciate the beauty and joy of California’s waterways and recreation opportunities. This also makes spring and summer a good time to educate families that drowning and near-drowning incidents are preventable!

The Department of Developmental Services (DDS) has recently updated the Drowning Prevention Webpage where there are links to excellent drowning prevention education materials. It is unfortunate that the DDS continues to see an average of 50 new children each year with near-drowning as a risk-factor, as a part of their client data. That is alarmingly close to one new child per week (per year) statewide that survives a water accident disabled, with many more who lose their lives. The survivors of near-drowning accidents have continued to increase the number of children living with severe disabilities for the remainder of their lives. This is one of the few developmental disabilities that is 100% preventable.

Drowning Prevention is most effective with a “layers of protection” approach:

·         Never leave a child alone near water, even for a few seconds
·         A supervising adult should be close enough to touch the child under 4 years old near water;
·         Keep a constant adult eye on young children; All collections of water are dangerous for infants and toddlers including bathtubs, buckets, toilets, ponds, spas, swimming pools, and natural water sites

·         Swimming pools should have fences, alarms, and drains that meet regulations
·         Pool gates should be self-latching, opening outward, with the latch out-of-reach for a child;
·         Keep reaching and throwing aids near a swimming pool
·         All children should wear a personal floatation device while playing near bodies of water
·         Parents and child caregivers should know how to perform rescue techniques and strategies to respond in an emergency
·         If a child is missing, check the pool first