Summer Fun in Texas
Summer’s here and it’s time to ramp up the fun with outdoor grilling, pool parties and days at the lake. And it’s all great until a preventable accident occurs. So how do you have fun this summer and keep yourself, and your family and friends safe? Well, all it takes is a few safety and precaution tips, and of course, knowing CPR and First Aid.
Of course, when we think of summer safety, the number one concern is prevention of drowning. And with the number of houses that have backyard pools, and pools in most apartment complexes, it’s important to know the seriousness of the problem.
About 1,500 children drown every year in the United States, and is the second leading cause of injury-related deaths in children ages one month to 14 years of age. The rate of near drowning is much higher, as not all near drownings are reported. It is estimated that for every drowning, there are four additional hospitalizations and 14 additional emergency room visits due to near drowning.
Drownings are Preventable
The Consumer Product and Safety Commission (CPSC) said that most drownings at pools and lakes occur between Memorial Day and Labor Day, with July 4th holiday seeing the highest number of fatalities. Not to alarm you, but DFW has the highest incidence of children drowning.
What is very interesting is that, according the Army Corps of Engineers, the people who are at the most risk of drowning are men between the ages of 17-28, with the worst times being between 3pm-6:30pm. Not surprisingly, it is usually alcohol related.
The good news is, these deaths are preventable, and even if someone is unresponsive and maybe not breathing, with proper CPR and First Aid training, you may be able to save their life. You can perform CPR on a drowning victim and the sooner the better. Although new guidelines teach compression-only CPR, with drowning victims mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is also advised due to oxygen loss with the victim.
Drowning prevention
So here are some accident/drowning prevention tips to ensure your summer is both fun and safe:
- Get proper CPR and First Aid training
- Never swim alone
- Never leave children unattended
- Do not get immersed in your Smartphone or other distractions when supervising children
- Avoid swimming when you have been drinking alcohol
- At lakes, be aware of currents and jagged rocks
Backyard pools
If you have a backyard pool:
- Install a cordless phone with emergency numbers programmed in
- Install a fence surrounding the pool, at least 5’ high, with a gate that makes it difficult for a child to enter, and with no direct access from the house
- Keep a buoy, rope, pole, life jacket or other devices by the pool
- Keep a first aid kit by the pool
- Do not leave toys at the pool that will tempt children to try to get them without your knowledge
It is possible to have this summer while staying safe. No one wants to take your fun away. I just want to make sure you and your friends and family have summer fun for many years to come.
Attend a class before it’s to late at www.texascpr.com.
Unintentional Drowning Deaths Among Children Aged 0–17 Years: United States, 1999–2019
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