Water safety key for summer fun

Published May 27, 2008
By Senior Airman Dilia Ayala
509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo., -- With summer nearly in full-swing, people are taking to the water to get relief from the seasonal high temperatures. As servicemembers and their families members enjoy the cooling pleasures of boating, fishing, water sports and visiting area lakes, it is vital they keep safety in mind.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2005, there were 3,582 fatal unintentional drownings in the United States, averaging ten deaths per day. An additional 710 people died, from drowning and other causes, in boating-related incidents.

So before Team Whiteman members make a splash in the base pool or take a boat ride, they are encouraged to keep the following safety tips in mind courtesy of the CDC, to help prevent water-related injuries:

· Designate a responsible adult to watch young children while in the bath and all children swimming or playing in or around water. Adults should not be involved in any other distracting activity (such as reading, playing cards, talking on the phone, or mowing the lawn) while supervising children.
· Always swim with a buddy. Select swimming sites that have lifeguards whenever possible.
· Avoid drinking alcohol before or during swimming, boating, or water skiing. Do not drink alcohol while supervising children.
· Learn to swim. Be aware that the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend swimming classes as the primary means of drowning prevention for children younger than 4. Constant, careful supervision and barriers such as pool fencing are necessary even when children have completed swimming classes.
· Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In the time it might take for paramedics to arrive, your CPR skills could make a difference in someone's life. CPR performed by bystanders has been shown to improve outcomes in drowning victims.
· Do not use air-filled or foam toys, such as "water wings", "noodles", or inner-tubes, in place of life jackets (personal flotation devices). These toys are not designed to keep swimmers safe.

If you have a swimming pool at home:
· Install a four-sided, isolation pool fence that completely separates the house and play area of the yard from the pool area. The fence should be at least 4 feet high. Use self-closing and self-latching gates that open outward with latches that are out of reach of children. Also, consider additional barriers such as automatic door locks or alarms to prevent access or notify you if someone enters the pool area.
· Remove floats, balls and other toys from the pool and surrounding area immediately after use. The presence of these toys may encourage children to enter the pool area or lean over the pool and potentially fall in.
If you are in or around natural bodies of water:
· Know the local weather conditions and forecast before swimming or boating. Strong winds and thunderstorms with lightning strikes are dangerous.
· Use U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets when boating, regardless of distance to be traveled, size of boat or swimming ability of boaters.
· Know the meaning of and obey warnings represented by colored beach flags.
· Watch for dangerous waves and signs of rip currents (e.g. water that is discolored and choppy, foamy or filled with debris and moving in a channel away from shore). If you are caught in a rip current, swim parallel to shore; once free of the current, swim toward shore.

For more on water safety and other safety issues, visit the Air Force Safety Center Web site at http://afsafety.af.mil, or the CDC Web site at www.cdc.gov.