Stay safe in the water this summer

In the pool
About 38 per cent of toddler drownings occurred in private swimming pools in 1999. Here's how to make the pool a safer place for kids.

• Make sure children are supervised by adults at all times in, on and around the water.

• Stand within arm's reach of your child whenever she's in the pool or close to it.

• Ensure your child wears a life jacket or a personal flotation device (PFD).

And if you have a backyard pool, make sure it has:
• a four-sided, four-foot-high fence with a self-latching gate;

• childproof locks; and

• nothing left near the gates that a child could climb onto.

In the water
Quick facts and stats
• Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional death for Canadians under 60 years of age.

• More than two-thirds of all toddler drownings occur in the afternoon and early evening according to the Canada Safety Council. The largest number occur on Saturdays and Sundays; 33 per cent between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and 29 per cent between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

• Seventy-one per cent of all drowning victims can swim.

• Eighty-three per cent of Canadian drowning victims are male.

• More than 85 per cent of drowning victims in Canada each year did not wear a flotation device.

Rivers
Although they may be the perfect place to cool off in the summer, rivers and streams can be dangerous. A shallow, gravel riverbed may hide muddy spots or deep holes that can trap swimmers. Water close to the riverbank may flow gently but there may be a strong current farther out. No matter how strong you are, even a moderate current can pin you against rocks and create underwater obstacles by trapping tree branches and rocks below the surface. Heavy rains can quickly turn a gentle river into a menacing flood.

Riptides and undertows
Riptides –- or rips -– are strong ocean currents that look and behave like rivers: they're flat and rippling with faster water in the middle and slower currents along the sides. Rips develop when incoming waves push receding water sideways.

Undertows occur where waves break over riptides forcing water down, creating the undertow. As soon as the wave breaks, however, the rip surfaces and so will anyone caught in the undertow.

Here are some tips to consider.
• Check surf conditions before entering the ocean.

• Make sure you have enough energy to swim to shore.

• Don't swim against the current; swim sideways across the current back to shore.

• Take a deep breath and dive underwater if you think a large wave is going to break on you. The force of the break can push your body underwater and hold you there.

• Above all, remain calm; doing so could save your life.

Prevention
• Never leave a child under the watch of another child.

• Avoid alcoholic beverages; in one year alone, alcohol was involved in 41 per cent of preventable water-related deaths involving victims 18 years of age and older.

• Don't assume your child is safe in small amounts of water; it takes just a few inches of water and less than two minutes for a child to drown.

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