Drowning Facts:

• Drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years.
• Each year, more than 830 children ages 14 and under die as a result of unintentional drowning in the US.
• As of June 22, 2010- Dell Children’s Hospital has seen 17 near drowning incidents; 2 resulting in death.
• In 2009 Dell Children’s Hospital saw 39 drowning incidents and 5 of those were drowning deaths.
• In 2008 Dell Children’s Hospital saw 43 drowning incidents and 6 of those are drowning deaths.
• Most drownings and near-drownings occur in residential swimming pools.
• A child should never be unsupervised in or near water, even shallow wading pools.
• Remember, children can drown in as little as 1 inch of water — and it can happen in no time at all.

There are many precautions parents and caregivers can take to keep children safe around water.

Tips For Parents - Water Safety Basics:

• Always supervise children in and around water. Never allow them to be near water alone.
• Teach young children how to swim.
• Inflatable toys, like water wings, can not be relied upon to keep children afloat.
• Children should not be expected to supervise each other around water. Parents should be present at all times.
• Install four-sided isolation fencing at least 5 feet high around home pools, equipped with self-closing and self-latching gates, around home swimming pools.
• Keep rescue equipment, a telephone and emergency numbers by the pool.