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How to Prevent Drowning Deaths
HOW TO 
Tags: deaths, drowning, prevention
Though an average of about 280 children younger than 5 years old drown in swimming pools each year, an average of about 150 additional children also drown at home in bathtubs, hot tubs and spas, buckets, toilets, trash cans, landscape or fish ponds and decorative fountains. For 2002 (the most recent year of complete data), CPSC has reports of 69 children younger than 5 who drowned in bathtubs. More than 80 percent were younger than 2 years old – 33 children were younger than 1 year old, and 23 children were between 1 and 2 years old. Home Drowning Prevention Tips include:
| | Young children can drown in even small amounts of water. Never leave young children alone near any water. |
| | Always keep a young child within arm’s reach in a bathtub. Never leave to answer the phone, answer the door, get a towel or for any other reason. If you must leave, take the child with you. |
| | Don’t leave a baby or toddler in a bathtub under the care of another young child. |
| | A baby bath seat is never a substitute for supervision. A bath seat is a bathing aid, not a safety device. Babies can slip or climb out of bath seats and drown. |
| | Keep toilet lids down to prevent access to water. Consider using toilet clips to stop young children from opening the lids. |
| | Consider keeping children out of bathrooms by using bathroom door latches that are out of reach of young children. |
| | Never leave a bucket containing even a small amount of liquid unattended. After using a bucket, always empty and store it where young children cannot reach it. Buckets left outside can collect rainwater and are a hazard. Toddlers can fall headfirst into 4- and 5-gallon buckets and drown. |
| | To prevent children from gaining access to spas or hot tubs when not in use, always secure safety covers and barriers. Non-rigid covers (such as solar covers) do not provide protection from drowning. They can appear to be in place even after children slip underneath them into the water. |
| | Learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). It can be a lifesaver when seconds count. |
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