Pool Safety
By: Nicole Sanchez
Updated: June 12, 2007
When the word summer pops in your mind usually so does swimming. Thousands of kids will be spending their vacation from school in the pool to escape the heat. But being near the water can also be unsafe.
“Tragedy can happen in a matter of seconds and we can’t take back that tragedy once it happens” Safe Kids Coordinator, Catie Weidenhofer says. She has been busy this summer awaring young pool-goers of a tragedy that can occur in a few seconds if not taken the right precautions.
“They want to go swimming and it’s our job to make sure is there a life guard on duty? What are the warning signs around the pool? Is there an emergency phone box for the pool? Does it have a life saving ring? Is there a shepherd’s hook? We want to make sure that our children and educate our kids on what the rules of the pool are? ,” Weidenhofer says.
Before your child takes that dive make sure that their wearing the proper attire.
“We want parents to make sure that when they buy things at a retail store that suit that when there going to buy the suit they’ll going to buy that this is US Coast Guard Approve Suits like this that does not have the stamp of the US Coast Guard are not good life saving devices and if parent read the label it will say this is not a life saving device.”
From a pool of water to a cup of water a child can drown. Last year over 60 children in Texas died in drowning accidents. A number that can be reduced this summer by parents using strict supervision.
Weidenhofer also adds, “When an adult turns their heard for as split second a child when they drown you don’t hear any screaming or yelling they sink to the bottom of the pool. And we want we want to make sure that those children are always supervised by an adult.”
While in the pool make sure that they stay away from drains that lie underneath the water. “That pool drains can suction a child to the bottom of the pool. So if you have a pool that has a flat gray drain in it then we want to replace it with an oval drain so that child cannot get sucked to the bottom of the pool because an adult cannot pull that child from the drain.” So if you try to beat the summer heat with swimming remember these guidelines to stay safe. Weidenhofer also reminds children to protect themselves with Sunscreen of SPF 30 or greater while in the pool.
“Tragedy can happen in a matter of seconds and we can’t take back that tragedy once it happens” Safe Kids Coordinator, Catie Weidenhofer says. She has been busy this summer awaring young pool-goers of a tragedy that can occur in a few seconds if not taken the right precautions.
“They want to go swimming and it’s our job to make sure is there a life guard on duty? What are the warning signs around the pool? Is there an emergency phone box for the pool? Does it have a life saving ring? Is there a shepherd’s hook? We want to make sure that our children and educate our kids on what the rules of the pool are? ,” Weidenhofer says.
Before your child takes that dive make sure that their wearing the proper attire.
“We want parents to make sure that when they buy things at a retail store that suit that when there going to buy the suit they’ll going to buy that this is US Coast Guard Approve Suits like this that does not have the stamp of the US Coast Guard are not good life saving devices and if parent read the label it will say this is not a life saving device.”
From a pool of water to a cup of water a child can drown. Last year over 60 children in Texas died in drowning accidents. A number that can be reduced this summer by parents using strict supervision.
Weidenhofer also adds, “When an adult turns their heard for as split second a child when they drown you don’t hear any screaming or yelling they sink to the bottom of the pool. And we want we want to make sure that those children are always supervised by an adult.”
While in the pool make sure that they stay away from drains that lie underneath the water. “That pool drains can suction a child to the bottom of the pool. So if you have a pool that has a flat gray drain in it then we want to replace it with an oval drain so that child cannot get sucked to the bottom of the pool because an adult cannot pull that child from the drain.” So if you try to beat the summer heat with swimming remember these guidelines to stay safe. Weidenhofer also reminds children to protect themselves with Sunscreen of SPF 30 or greater while in the pool.
