Water Safety

• Never swim alone, use the buddy system and flotation devices.
• Never leave children near the water unattended.

§ 75% of submersion victims studied by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) were between 1 & 3 years old; 65 % were boys. Toddlers, in particular, often do something unexpected because their capabilities change daily.

§ One or both parents were supervising most children.

§ 46% of the children were last seen in the house.

§ 69% of the children were not expected to be at or near the water.

§ Barriers (fence, door alarms and safety latches) are not childproof, but they provide layers of protection.*

§ Appoint a "designated watcher" to protect children during social gatherings near the water.

§ Do not leave toys near the water, they can attract young children to the water.

§ Do not consider young children to be drown-proof because they have had swimming lessons.

§ Instruct babysitters about water hazards.

• Keep a flotation device handy that you can throw to someone in trouble.
• Learn CPR. Babysitters and other caretakers, such as grandparents and older siblings, should also know CPR.
• Have a dog ramp.  Tragically, every year several dogs fall into our waterways and drown.  If you have a dog please build a dog ramp.
• Heavy rains my pollute the waterways don’t swim in the waterways for several days after a heavy rain.
• Entering cold water can "freeze" the muscles in your body and cause even good swimmers to go down.  Toddlers & infants especially go straight to the bottom.  It is nearly impossible to find someone under water at night in cold, cloudy water in time to save their life.
• Barnacles along the bulkhead and pilings are very sharp and can cut like a razor.  Cuts from barnacles can cause severe infection, some life threatening.*

* References on Barnacle Infections: 

http://www.chesapeakeboating.net/Publications/Chesapeake-Bay-Magazine/2006/May-2006/Just-a-Scratch-.aspx

http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/articles/Marine_Life_Trauma

* Pool safety for home pools:

https://www.cpsc.gov//PageFiles/122222/pool.pdf