The tragic, accidental drowning of a 3-year-old North Georgia boy in the bathtub of his home late last month and the numerous reports of youngsters drowning or nearly drowning in buckets, tubs, swimming pools, lakes and rivers across the country are powerful testament to the fragility of life. They also are useful reminders that parents and caregivers must be ever-vigilant when children in their charge are in or near any body of water, regardless of depth.
Drowning is among the leading causes of unintended death for children, according to public health officials. There were 3,579 fatal, unintentional drownings – an average of almost 10 per day – reported in 2006, the last year for which numbers are available. There are several reasons, experts say, why children are at high risk near water.
Children react differently than adults when they get into trouble in the water. The very young can drown in an inch or two of water because they can’t turn over. Older kids usually try to breath rather than holler for help if they start to drown. They also are more likely to sink to the bottom of a pool or body of water than to splash and thrash in a struggle to stay afloat or to keep their ahead above water. The message for parents and public safety officials, then, is clear.
Kids often drown swiftly, quietly and with few visible indications that they are in danger. Those who watch kids at the pool, at the beach, at lakes and, yes, while they are in the bathtub, can not afford to let their attention stray. If they do, tragedy can and does occur.
Some laws are designed to mitigate the possibility of drowning. Many municipalities and states now require that swimming pools be fenced to keep curious youngsters from falling into them. Standards for lifeguards have been toughened, the teaching of CPR expanded and public service messages and signage about safety around the water increased. All that will help, but means little if caregivers don’t do their part.
The best way to prevent a child from drowning is to never leave his or her side if they are near water. Accidents are still possible, but the chance that tragedy will occur is much reduced if a parent is close enough to touch a child in tub, pool or open water rather than watching from even a few feet away.