Make Water Safety a Top Priority!

Drowning is quick and silent; there is no warning. Below are some tips to help ensure your days at the pool or on the water are safe and fun.

• Make sure that everyone in the family learns to swim well. Enroll in swimming lessons.
• Never leave a young child unattended near water. Do not trust a child’s life with another child.
• Teach children to always ask permission to go near water.
• Young children and inexperienced swimmers need to wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket. Do not rely on life jackets alone.
• The best protection against drowning is constant adult supervision.
• Establish rules for your family and enforce them without fail. Set limits based on the ability of each child. Don’t let your children play around drains.
• Don’t just pack it, wear your jacket! Most boating fatalities occur from drowning.
• Avoid alcohol use when watching children in, on and around water. Alcohol impairs judgement.

Ginny Harrison and her husband Jim run Swimming for Life, a division of Straight Forward Ministries in Lake County, Florida. More information on Swimming for Life can be found on their Facebook page or website.