Pool Safety Tips: Protect Your Kids From Tragedy In The Water

Losing a child is a parent's worst nightmare, especially when the death could have been prevented.

This tragedy recently occurred for a family in Melville; three-year-old twin boys drowned in their family pool while their mother slept on Wednesday morning.

• 3-Year-Old Twins Drown In Long Island Swimming Pool

According to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, young children drowning is a common occurrence. Drowning kills more children ages 1 to 4 than any other cause except congenital anomalies. It is also the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths behind car crashes, data shows.

These drowning deaths most often occur right under the families' noses: at their home swimming pools.

Luckily, there are steps parents can take to prevent losing a child too soon.

The CDC offers these drowning prevention tips for children/parents:

Supervise—A responsible adult should watch children while they are playing in or around water. For preschool-age children, supervisors should be close enough to reach the child at all times. Adults should not be involved in any other distracting activity— like reading, playing cards, talking, or mowing the lawn— while supervising children, even if lifeguards are present.

Swimming Skills— formal swimming lessons help reduce the risk of drowning among children ages 1 to 4.

Learn Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation— CPR performed by bystanders saves lives and improves outcomes in drowning victims. The sooner CPR is started, the better chance the victim has of an improved outcome.

Secure The Area— For those with swimming pools at home, they should install a four-sided pool fence at least 4 feet high that completely separates the pool from the house and yard. There should be self-closing and self-latching gates that open outward with latches out of reach of children. Additional barriers are encouraged, such as automatic door locks and alarms to prevent access and to alert adults if someone enters the pool area. Pool owners should also clear the pool and deck of toys after use so children are not tempted to enter the pool area unsupervised. Ladders on above-ground pools should also be secured when the pool is not in use.

Drowning Facts

According to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, there were an average of 3,536 fatal unintentional drownings (non-boating related) from 2005 to 2014; that's about 10 deaths (all age groups) per day.

Even if a child survives drowning, they can still develop severe brain damage that may cause long-term disabilities, such as memory problems, learning disabilities and permanent loss of basic functioning, the CDC says. For every child age 14 or younger who dies from drowning, there are another five children who receive emergency care for nonfatal submersion injuries.

Of course, parents can take these steps and still be faced with a drowning incident, but if following the prevention tips can help save at least one life, it is worth it.

For pool owners without children, it is encouraged to still secure your pool as children can wander into backyards and decide to take a dip into the pool when no one is around.

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