Swim Safety
Studies show that most drowning incidents occur in swimming pools. However, young children have been known to drown in less than two inches of water.
Florida
The problem is worse in Florida, which has lost more children to drownings than any other state. The statistics are startling:
- In 2017, there were 51 fatal child drownings in Florida pools or spas, a 20 percent spike compared to 2016 when there were 40 fatal child drownings.
- Most of the drownings in 2017 involved kids 15 or younger, with 80 percent involving children under 5.
- Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death among children ages 1-4 nationwide.
Florida families have been urged to enroll their kids in swimming programs. Adults are encouraged to learn CPR. Many local organizations offer free and low-cost lessons to ensure that families in need have access to lifesaving lessons. (Read about a new state law that helps families pay for swim lessons for kids)
Knowing the strokes isn’t enough.
Safety in pools, at home and the beach, involves being alert and taking precautions. Here are some tips that will help ensure children are safe.
- Never leave a child unattended in a pool or spa. Always watch over kids around any body of water.
- Designate a watcher, who knows how to swim, to supervise children. Watchers have to be alert and shouldn’t be distracted by a phone, conversation or even a book. All eyes, all the time.
- Never allow a young child to be responsible for a younger sibling or playmate.
- Teach your kids to swim and take lessons yourself if you aren’t a strong swimmer.
- Learn CPR
- Flotation devices and swimming lessons are not a substitute for adult supervision.
- Empty buckets immediately after use and store them upside down and out of a child’s reach.
- If you have a pool at home, make sure to install approved barriers to keep small children from falling in and drowning. Barriers include child-proof locks on all doors, a pool fence with self-latching and self-closing gates, as pool alarms. Keep children away from pool drains, pipes, and other openings to avoid entrapment.
- Empty buckets immediately after use and store them upside down and out of a child’s reach.
- Keep toilet seats down and consider using a lock or toilet clip to prevent toddlers from opening the toilet.
Drowning accidents are caused by a wide range of accidents and conditions such as the following:
- Drain defects
- Defective pool toys
- Dangerous designInsufficient fencing
- Insufficient fencing
- Lack of proper pool barriers
- Improperly mixed pool chemicals
- Negligent lifeguards
- Improper supervision
- Insufficiently trained lifeguards
- Lack of adequate signage
Our Team
The legal team at Winston Law is here to help you recover financial damages for medical bills, rehabilitation expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering in the event of an injury due to a drowning incident. The team at Winston Law can help you pursue a personal injury lawsuit.
Contact us:
800-475-9666
800-475-4206
