During a hot day, cooling off at the pool or Lake Murray is a great family activity. However, water can quickly go from fun to dangerous for children.
Movies and television shows dramatize what drowning looks like; flailing arms and shouts for help aren’t always indicators. If you plan to spend a day by the water, know the signs of drowning.
If a swimmer appears to be struggling to keep their head above water, this may be a sign that they need help. It can only take a few seconds without air to lose consciousness, so it’s important to act fast.
Community pools with lots of swimmers make it even more difficult to spot when there’s a swimmer in distress, so be sure to keep an eye on your child.
If you or a neighbor has an open pool nearby, make sure to keep all doors locked so a child can’t sneak outside and fall in. By the time someone inside the home realizes a kid is missing, it may be too late. Children can be very smart and know how to unlock and open a door, so if this is a problem, consider installing a latch at the top of the door.
In the case of a water emergency, CPR can be the difference between life and death. Having someone in your household go through training could be helpful in the case of an emergency.
Lexington County Emergency Medical Services hosts free two-hour CPR training for anyone interested.