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What could be more fun than a big pool party on a bright summer day?
Although there are no reliable statistics for pool party drownings, sadly they occur and are entirely preventable. Residential pools are the site of the majority of drownings in young children.
On August 4, 2024, two nine year olds drowned in separate pool parties in Chattanooga, TN. In an article titled “Killer Parties” published by Aquatics International in 2024, several important risk factors for children drowning at these events are enumerated.
- Parents drop off their children assuming the host will carefully watch them.
- The host assumes all the kids can swim.
- Parents are distracted by setting up party food, games, staring at their phones or socializing and not watching the children in the pool.
- No-one is specifically assigned to scan the pool and children in distress may be thought to be playing.
- No lifeguards or life jackets are provided.
Several lifesaving strategies are recommended. (Many of these strategies apply equally well to every day pool visits and time at the beach.)
- Require parents to attend the event, especially if the child is a non-swimmer.
- Host or other adult should know how to swim and be CPR certified.
- Use the first 15 minutes of the party to swim test all kids in the shallow end.
- Identify and fit life jackets to non-swimmers.
- Discuss water safety and set up a buddy system for the kids.
- Keep the party restricted to the shallow end of the pool.
- If a lifeguard is not present assign individual parents as “pool watchers”. Rotate a new watcher each 20 or 30 minutes to keep alertness focused. Count heads every five minutes.
- Keep the swimming part of the event short especially if the water is cold.
- No alcohol should be served until after the pool is vacated.
Many of these recommendations should be applied to every day outings at residential or public pools especially if lifeguards are not present. Don’t assume that having a lifeguard present completely removes the risk of a child drowning. It does not!
-Submitted by Derek Fyfe, Waterproof, Inc.
Note: To view the previous articles in this series entitled “Water Safety Guidelines to Teach Children” and “What Does Drowning Look Like?”, go to tidelinesblog.com and in the search bar type: being water wise.
(Image credit: freepik.com)