We are in July and many families come to enjoy the beaches and swimming pools with the children. It's a hilarious plan, children have a great time, but safety is very important in these cases. And even if there are fences, floats, wizards and other items, the best safety measure in beaches and swimming pools is not to take your eyes off them for even a second. Supervision is the only effective. Everything else can fail.
The figures are terrible. Five thousand children die in Europe every summer due to drowning that could have been avoided. 70% are under six years old and 3 out of every 4 of children who die drowned, die in private pools.
Better wear life jackets
For children who still don't know anything well, the best flotation system in the water is the life jacket, no sleeves or floats. Unlike floats that run the risk of turning over or sleeves that can get out of the arms or deflate, the vests are safer.
Let him learn to swim as soon as possible
Than children learn to swim, or at least float, since they are small it is a great tranquility. Although of course it does not replace supervision, knowing that if it falls into the water you will know how to float and will not drown, it is very reassuring.
Don't trust
Even if the child has learned to swim, do not relax. You can get tired when swimming and be far from the curb, you can get hit by another child, you may feel bad ... Do not trust. Always supervise your child when entering the pool, both in the water and outside. Maybe you don't need to be in the water if you already know how to swim but never take your eyes off. Distracting you two minutes can be fatal.
Do not leave toys in the water
This is one of the dumbest mistakes. The toys that remain floating in the water attract the little ones. These want to go for them and can fall into the water in an oversight.
So, when leaving the pool always remove all items that have been floating.
Barrier measures
Of course, make sure the pool has security fences that children cannot open and that it is always closed, but they make no sense. There are also perimeter alarms, which warn when the child approaches the pool, or immersion, when it has fallen.
On the beaches, there are no barriers, therefore children must always be accompanied by an adult when they approach the water.
Eye with inflatable pools
According to a report in the United States, a child dies drowned in an inflatable pool every five days. The vast majority under five years due to brief oversights in supervision.
Being small, we believe that they do not involve any risk. But so only 6 cm of water are enough for a child to drown, whereby a bucket, a bowl or an inflatable pool are a potential risk.
Never take their eyes off them
This weekend we have known a story that did not end in miracle tragedy. A 10-month-old baby drifted in the sea with her float. Oh my God! Where were the parents?
What happened to these parents was more than a distraction, it was negligence, I would say. But unfortunately accidents happen, and being distracted for a single minute can cause a child to drown. Supervision is the most effective measure we have at our disposal to prevent child drowning.
The example of France
In France, the Raffarin law, which includes the obligation of fencing all public and private swimming pools, has reduced child drowning by 75%.
In our country, from the National Child Safety Association a campaign has been launched in Change to prevent more children drowning in swimming pools.
