Friday, June 3, 2011

preventing drowning

My sister-in-law sent this article to me, Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning, along with everyone else in the family.  I think it is eye-opening and felt that I received it at the perfect moment as we enter the warm summer months full of swimming lessons and parties.

I passed a lifeguard course as a freshman in college, but never took a job as a lifeguard; I couldn't stand the thought that someone - especially a child - might die on my watch.  But even with a lifeguard nearby, I think we need to be vigilant as parents.  I think this part of the article sums up well the point the author attempts to make, and gives us a simple, useful, easy-to-remember tip:

"Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure? Ask them, “Are you alright?” If they can answer at all – they probably are. If they return a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents – children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why."


Because, drownings happen - much more frequently than they should.  And one child drowning is too many.

1 comment:

Katy said...

I saw this very thing happen recently while at the rec center with Jeremiah and our kids. A little boy, probably about five years old, jumped off the diving board, then seemed to be struggling to stay afloat and was not making any progress toward the edge of the pool. The lifeguard was sitting right there staring at him, and there were tons of people around, but he just looked so calm and didn't make any request for help, so nobody did anything! I started to worry that he was having a hard time, but I almost felt foolish saying anything since the lifeguard was right there and it was her job and she must know what she was doing. Finally, I did yell, "Someone help that little boy!" Right about that time she was coming to the same conclusion and jumped down from her chair, rescuing him. It was scary to think how a person could nearly drown right in front of us all (including a lifeguard!) and nobody really realized what was happening.