Police: Middletown Residents Can Help Prevent Summer Drownings

Summer official starts on Friday, June 21 and that means plenty of backyard barbecues and pool parties around Middletown, NJ. 

Middletown Police Chief Robert Oches asks residents to do their part to help reduce drownings and pool-related accidents this summer by taking simple safety precautions.

According to Chief Oches, the police department responds to several drownings or severe injury calls each summer as a direct result of people disregarding accepted safety procedures for their home swimming pools.

He urges residents to follow these rules when in their backyards utilizing their pools:

1. Do not leave small children unattended, even for a minute in the area of the pool.
2. Do not allow children of any age to use the pool unless there is another person present, even if they are good swimmers.
3. Do not allow anyone to dive into shallow water.
4. Avoid excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages while using a swimming pool.
5. Keep swimming pool gates locked and inaccessible at all times when not in use.
6. Install alarms for doors leading out to a pool.
7. Purchase floating motion sensors that activate when surface water is disturbed.