Yesterday marked the start of National Water Safety Month.
May is National Water Safety Month, with the majority of the world consisting of water; oceans, streams, seas, lakes, etc. and over 10.4 million residential and over 309,000 public swimming pools in the United States alone, safety is key.
According to the Red Cross only a little over 50% of Americans are considered ‘water competent’. Water competency has 5 core swimming skills, one of which is treading water.
There are swim programs around the nation teaching others to swim and about water safety. Be sure to see if there are any events in your area.
Here are a few safety tips from the APSP:
- Learn how to swim, and teach children to swim.
- Know CPR and keeping those skills regularly updated.
- Make sure pool gates and alarms meet code and are functioning.
- Never leave a child unattended in or near water.
- If a child goes missing look in the pool or spa first.
- Show children the pipes and other openings and tell them to keep away to avoid entrapment.
As pool season nears, remember to keep safe and have fun!
For more information on National Water Safety Month, click here.