The New York Red Cross Stresses Water Safety this Holiday Weekend

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Hawthorne, NY As the temperatures heat up and vacation season sets in—whether heading out of town or enjoying staycations - many families will be taking to the water.

Unfortunately, it is inevitable to hear tragic stories of children and adults losing their lives to drowning. Every day, about 10 people die from unintentional drowning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It is the leading cause of injury deaths for 1-4 year-old children.

The American Red Cross is stressing the importance of constant, active adult supervision and ensuring that everyone learns to swim as critical layers of protection to help prevent drowning.

“Everyone should have basic water safety knowledge and skills to help them be safe and make good choices around water,” Mary Young, CEO, American Red Cross Metro New York North said in an alert. "Parents and caregivers should always stay within ‘arm’s reach’ of young children and newer swimmers. Drowning can occur quickly and silently, wherever there is water. Join the Red Cross in keeping vigilant watch over family, friends, family and neighbors this summer, and, for life."

The following tips are layers of protection that will help people stay safe in and around the water:

• Don’t fool with a pool: fence it in. Enclose your pool and spa with four-sided, four-foot fencing and use self-closing, self-latching gates.
• Don’t just pack it, wear your U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket – always on a boat and if in a situation beyond your skill level. Inflatable children’s toys and water wings can be fun, but they are not a substitute for a life jacket and adult supervision.
• Swim as a pair near a lifeguard’s chair - everyone, including experienced swimmers, should swim with a buddy in areas protected by lifeguards.
• Reach or throw, don't go! Know what to do to help someone in trouble without getting yourself in danger; know how and when to call 9-1-1; and know CPR.

WATER COMPETENCY According to a Red Cross survey, more than half of all Americans (54 percent) either can’t swim or don’t have all of the basic swimming skills. The Red Cross and its Scientific Advisory Council recommend that everyone learn to perform critical water safety skills, referred to as ‘water competency.’ The skills, performed sequentially, include being able to:

• . Step or jump into the water over your head;
• . Return to the surface and float or tread water for one minute;
• . Rotate in a full circle and find an exit;
• . Swim 25 yards to the exit; and
• . Exit from the water. If in a pool, be able to exit without using the ladder.

”Learn to swim well enough that you can perform all five water competency skills. If you or a family member can’t, look for Red CrossLearn-to-Swim classes offered in your area,” added Mary Young.

Red Cross swim lessons help people develop skills and water safety behaviors that help them be more comfortable and safe when they are in, on and around the water. People can find age-appropriate water orientation and Learn-to-Swim programs for themselves and their family members by contacting their local aquatic facility and asking for American Red Cross swimming and water safety programs or by visiting redcross.org/takeaclass.

SWIM APP: The Red Cross Swim App promotes water safety education and helps parents and caregivers of young people learning how to swim. The app has features specifically designed for children, including a variety of kid-friendly games, videos and quizzes. People can download the app for free by searching for ‘American Red Cross’ in their app store or at redcross.org/apps.

HOME POOL ESSENTIALS COURSE: The Red Cross and National Swimming Pool Foundation® (NSPF) have developed an online safety course for pool and hot tub owners. Home Pool Essentials (HomePoolEssentials.org) helps people understand the risks of pool ownership, how to maintain a safer and cleaner pool, what safety equipment is appropriate, how to prevent pool and hot tub entrapment hazards, and how to respond to an emergency.