Summer is here and with it comes the season for swimming. Whether you’re a pool or beach person, there are some important safety tips to keep in mind when enjoying the water.
- Have life jackets on hand: If there are young children in your family, make sure everyone has his or her own life jacket for use in the water. It’s also important for parents and other caregivers not to rely only on life jackets as a safety precaution; always supervise children when they’re near water and never leave them unattended near a pool or other body of water.
- Supervise children around water at all times — including pools, spas, lakes, rivers and oceans. Don’t let them swim alone.
- Don’t drink alcohol before going in the water; it causes impaired judgment and coordination. Even drinking small amounts of alcohol can reduce your ability to survive in cold water for long periods of time—even if you’re an experienced swimmer.
- Take a first aid course and CPR training courses. If someone does get hurt while swimming, these skills could save their life until emergency services arrive.
- Always swim with a buddy. It’s much safer to go out with someone else instead of going alone or with just one other person — there are many more eyes watching out for each other when there are two or more people together on an outing like this. If one person gets into trouble, there will be someone else around who can help them out until emergency services arrive or until they make it back to shore on their own if possible.
- Wear a life jacket if you’re not a strong swimmer or are just learning how to swim in open waters — such as lakes, rivers or oceans — where currents can be unpredictable and dangerous for inexperienced swimmers.
