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As the weather warms in Mississippi, eager children on summer break are ready to hop in the pool and, play in the water, and enjoy some cool relief from the sun.
While summer is a carefree time for many, it is not a time to relax and let our guards down from dangers that are in our very backyards. Swimming pool accidents and drownings can literally happen in a matter of seconds, and they occur at higher rates during warm months.
Whether you have a pool of your own or you are taking your children to one at another location, here are a few ways to prevent swimming pool accidents and have a safe summer.
Pool And Drowning Statistics
Drowning ranks as the fifth leading cause of unintentional injury death in the U.S. While these accidents can happen to just about anybody, young children are at an increased risk of drowning compared to other age groups.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that 20% of drownings victims are children aged 14 years old or younger. Additionally, for every child who dies of drowning, another five receive emergency room (ER) care for injuries related to nonfatal drownings or submersions.
TAKE EXTRA SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
What steps can you take to prevent drownings in swimming pools this summer? For adults, supervisors, and homeowners, it’s important to implement a few extra safety precautions when pools or other bodies of water are part of your summer days:
- Clearly mark pool depths
- Have at least one supervising adult keeping a constant eye on children at all times
- Set up a four-sided perimeter around all bodies of water to prevent children from either falling in or jumping in when they are unsupervised
- Drownings are more likely to occur when alcohol is involved, so don’t drink and swim and make sure the supervisor is sober
- Don’t rely on lifejackets or other floatation devices to prevent drownings, even if a child does know how to swim
- Have at least one person within the vicinity who knows CPR techniques
If your child is injured at someone else’s pool, please don’t hesitate to contact our firm for legal guidance.. Our injury attorneys have over 100 years of collective experience advocating on behalf of Northern Mississippi injury victims and their families. We are here to listen to your story and fight for your family’s physical, emotional, and financial recovery.
Contact Chatham Gilder Howell Pittman at (662) 222-0597 to get started on your case today. We offer free, no-obligation consultations.
