A Dangerous Curiosity

We are all aware that swimming is considered an important life skill. The perfect time to learn this skill is somewhere around the age of two and a half to three years old, mainly because children are like sponges soaking up new information. Their fears can be easily overcome and their curiosity about the water peaks ... and sometimes, curiosity can be dangerous.
 

Two years ago, Jessica was lifeguarding at her local pool. The depth ranged from four to 11 feet, and on this day, there happened to be more than 40 swimmers. She and another lifeguard were posted to cover the entire pool, and that's when she noticed a little girl struggling.

"The drop from four feet to 11 is pretty sudden at my pool. Most kids will hop around in the four foot area and easily touch the ground. This five year old girl was doing just that and hopped a bit too far. She ended up in the five to six foot area, lost her footing and went under, then managed to get her head above the water to scream. I blew the whistled and jumped in, but by the time I swam over her head wasn't even above the surface. I grabbed under her arms and pulled her out. Thankfully, she started coughing immediately and was pretty much fine. The worst part? Her mom was in the parking lot making a phone call."

Jessica's story is unfortunately very common. The best way to avoid such a bad situation is by having parents stay within 10 feet of their child, especially when their swimming still isn't dependable.


Pool Tip: Floaties 

Floaties are commonly used by parents to keep their summers "worry-free." However, floaties are NOT lifesaving devices. Unless they are U.S. Coastguard certified, the smallest shift in weight can topple a child over and prevent them from getting their head above water. Stay away from the blow-up ones that only go around the arms and stick to vests that buckle across the waist and between the legs. 

Read the labels: WARNING, THIS IS NOT A LIFESAVING DEVICE

Chicago Tribune: Summer Safety