We drink it, wash ourselves with it, cook with it, spray it on our lawns and gardens, fish in it, and swim in it. In winter, we skate on it. Water is an important part of our lives. It is hard to imagine our world without water!
Canadians are surrounded by water. We have three oceans, thousands of lakes, rivers, and streams, and countless municipal and backyard pools.
Because water is such a common commodity, it's easy to forget that it can also be dangerous. According to Safe Kids Canada, between June and August, at least one child will drown every two weeks, and each day there will be a near-drowning incident. More than half of all drownings and near-drownings happen to children under age five. Children in this age group are involved in more drowning or near-drowning incidents than those in any other age group and more than four times the rate of incidents for those over the age of 19. Children aged five to nine years old are the second most at-risk group. Young children are at high risk because they are attracted to water, but do not fully understand the dangers of the water or have the necessary maturity and skills to independently play safely in or near water.
The Public Health Agency of Canada reports that as many as 550 water-related deaths occur in Canada each year. Some of these deaths even happen in very shallow water.
The Canadian Institute for Health reports that drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death among young children in Ontario, after motor vehicle accidents. According to a recent report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, three out of every four child drowning and near-drowning incidents occur, not while swimming, but while the child is playing or walking near water.
How can adults help reduce the risks?
Water-related accidents, including drowning and near drowning, can be reduced. Those who are certified lifeguards and swim instructors have the knowledge and skills to safely supervise children in public pools and on waterfront beaches. The purpose of this article is to educate those who do not have these qualifications, but are still supervising children in water settings. Everyone, whether water qualified or not, is urged to share this information with neighbours, friends, and family who provide children with recreational water experiences.
Safe Kids Canada offers the following water safety advice to parents:
- Actively supervise your child when he/she is in the water. Even teens should be supervised.
- If your child is under the age of five, stay right beside your child at all times if he/she is near water or in the water. For extra protection, put him/her in a life jacket.
- Make sure your home swimming pool is surrounded by a four-sided fence atleast four feet (1.2 metres) high with a childproof gate. Do not use your house as one side of the fence. Many drownings of children under age 5 happen in home pools.
- Adults who are supervising need to know how to swim.
- Learn about water safety. A good place to learn is at a parent and child swim class.
- Have your child take swimming lessons. Children are ready to start swimming lessons at about age four. However, even when your child learns to swim, you need to stay close to him/her when in the water. Swimming lessons are not guaranteed to prevent your child from drowning.
- Get a life jacket. Make sure the life jacket fits your child’s weight. Your child could slip out of a life jacket that is too big. There are no life jackets for babies under 20 pounds (or nine kilograms).
- Always be prepared; learn some life-saving techniques, such as basic first aid, CPR, and rescue techniques. They can help you save a life.
- Adults supervising a pool should have an emergency action plan.
- The following safety equipment should be readily available: a nonmetal reaching pole, a throwing line with buoyant aid, a first aid kit and a poolside telephone with emergency numbers.
- Personal flotation devices (such as water wings, etc.) or life jackets must never be used as a substitute for supervision.
Adult Supervision: Critical things to remember
Constant visual supervision is critical in order to reduce the risk of child drownings and near-drownings. Every year, we learn about children who drown while their parents or other adults, or even lifeguards, were nearby.
- Supervision of a swimming child is a full-time job. It’s not to be combined with reading, talking on the phone, barbecuing, eating or looking after other children who are not in the water.
- Supervision must be constant and vigilant. For very young children who are in or near water, the “within arm’s reach” rule should apply.
- Wading pools should be emptied after use.
- Toys should never be left near water.
Children, especially infants and toddlers, can drown quietly and quickly. How quickly? It takes less than a minute! Children don’t even need to be swimming to be at risk. Most infant drowning deaths occur in bathtubs, when the parent briefly walks out of the room.
How can children and youth help reduce their own risks?
Water safety must be a shared responsibility. You are encouraged to share the following ideas with children you know. Children and youth can enhance their safety in and around water by following these tips:
- Always swim with another person
- If you see someone in trouble in the water, get help quickly
- If you are in trouble in the water:
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- Stay calm
- Float on your back
- Wave one arm for help
- The better you swim, the more fun you can have, so start taking lessons today
- Always swim in the designated swimming area
- Listen to the lifeguards and/or supervising adults
- Obey signs giving advice to swimmers
- At home remember to:
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- Shut the pool gate.
- Always enter the water safely
- Don't push people into the pool
- Don't leave toys in the pool, they attract young children
- Empty all buckets and paddle pools after playing
- Know your limits. Swimming can be a lot of fun — and you might want to stay in the water as long as possible. If you're not a good swimmer or you're just learning to swim, don't go in water that's so deep you can't touch the bottom and don't try to keep up with skilled swimmers.
- If you are a good swimmer and have had lessons, keep an eye on friends who aren't as comfortable or as skilled as you are. If it seems like they (or you) are getting tired, suggest that you take a break from swimming for a while.
- Swim in safe areas only. It's a good idea to swim only in places that are supervised by a lifeguard. No one can anticipate changing water currents, riptides, sudden storms, or other hidden dangers. In the event that something does go wrong, lifeguards are trained in rescue techniques.
- Be careful about diving. Only dive in areas that are known to be safe for diving, such as the deep end of a supervised pool. If an area is posted with "No Diving" or "No Swimming" signs, pay attention to them. If you see a "No Diving" sign, that means the water isn't safe for a head-first entry. Even if you plan to jump in feet first, check the water's depth before you leap to make sure there are no hidden rocks or other hazards. Lakes or rivers can be cloudy and hazards can be hard to see.
- Don't eat candy or chew gum when swimming
- Never swim at night
- Get out of the water right away if you hear thunder or see lightning
Swimming Programs
The Swim to Survive Program initiated by the Lifesaving Society of Canada is one example of a recent program aimed at reducing the number of water-related accidents. Swim to Survive does not replace traditional swimming lessons. Rather, it provides the essential minimum skills that will enable a child to survive an unexpected fall into deep water. The Swim to Survive skill sequence is as follows:
- Roll into deep water: The deep-water roll teaches the learner to orient themselves at the surface after an unexpected fall.
- Tread water for one minute: Canadian waters are generally cold enough year round to cause a gasping reflex on unexpected immersion. Treading water
teaches the learner to support at the surface and protect the airway.
- Swim 50 metres: Lifesaving Society research shows that most drownings occur within 3 to 15 metres of safety. Because the ability of the learner may be impaired by cold water, clothing etc., there is a 50-metre standard to compensate.
Contact the Lifesaving Society to find out more about this program.
Have a safe and happy summer!!!!
Resources
The following resources provide helpful standards related to water safety:
- Ophea’s Physical Education Safety Guidelines
www.ophea.net
www.sickkids.ca/safekidscanada/default.asp
www.redcross.ca
www.lifesaving.ca/
- Canadian Paediatric Society
www.caringforkids.cps.ca/keepingkidssafe/Swimming.htm
- Health Canada – swimming pool safety
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hecs-sesc/cps/publications/pools.htm
Link for kids:
- Public Health Agency of Canada
www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/dca-dea/injury/en/eau.html
