What to know about water safety before heading to the beach or pool this summer
With temperatures rising across the country and school out for the summer, many families will visit the beach, lake or local swimming pool
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — With school out for the summer and temperatures rising across the country, many families will visit the beach, lake or local swimming pool. Now is the time to review safety tips to keep children safe around water.
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 and the second leading cause of unintentional death for children in the 5 to 14 age group, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the United States, 973 children under the age of 19 drowned in 2021, and another 6,500 were treated in emergency rooms following near drowning incidents, according to Gary Karton of Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit organization working to prevent childhood injury.
In fact, more drownings occur in the summer, and specifically in July, than any other time of the year, according to the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
