Get educated on swimming pool safety

As the lovely sunlit days of spring in Southern California give way to the stifling heat of summer, a sparkling swimming pool becomes a draw for people of all ages. Warm afternoons and evenings signal an opportunity for family and friends to gather for playtime at the pool, where loved ones can cool off and unwind both in and out of the water.

In too many cases, however, joyful activity turns to sudden tragedy. A beautiful backyard pool can become an unrelenting reminder of endless heartache and grief when a drowning occurs.

In states where pools are numerous, there are more fatalities to young children from drowning than from traffic accidents. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the highest number of incidents of drowning occurs to children between the ages of one and 4 years old. Roughly one-third of the children in that age group who die from unintentional injuries die from drowning. Furthermore, for every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries, which can cause severe brain damage that may result in long-term disabilities such as memory problems, learning disabilities and permanent loss of basic functioning.

What factors influence drowning risk?

CDC said that the main factors that affect drowning risk are lack of swimming ability, lack of barriers to prevent unsupervised water access, lack of close supervision while swimming, location, failure to wear life jackets, alcohol use and seizure disorders.

A lack of swimming ability is one of the top risks;however, research has shown that participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning among children aged one to four years.

The next biggest risk is a lack of barriers. Barriers, such as pool fencing, prevent young children from gaining access to the pool area without a caregivers' awareness. A four-sided isolation fence, which separates the pool area from the house and yard, reduces a child's risk of drowning by 83 percent compared to three-sided property-line fencing.

Multiple barriers increase the likelihood that drowning will be prevented. Rigid pool covers can be installed. For an above ground pool, the ladder should be removed when the pool is not being supervised. Alarms can be installed on windows and doors leading to the yard. Alarms that detect underwater movement can be installed in pools, and there are even personal immersion alarms, which are designed as bracelets to be worn by children.

Also, a lack of close supervision increases the risk of drowning. Drowning can happen quickly and quietly anywhere there is water. Contrary to what is often depicted on movie screens or televisions, in reality, drowning usually happens without a sound. The most effective alarm system is adult eyes. Keeping a close eye on loved ones is absolutely imperative. No one, not even adults, should ever swim alone. If older swimmers have a debilitating heart attack or experience some other sort of emergency and there is no one to notice or rescue them, it will be fatal. A designated pool supervisor should be assigned at every gathering to do nothing but watch swimmers. This job should be rotated between responsible adults, who will not allow anything to distract them from their assigned task.

Location affects drowning risks. People of different ages drown in different locations. For example, most children, ages 1-4, drown in home swimming pools; however, the percentage of drowning in natural water settings, including lakes, rivers and oceans, increases with age.

Lastly, alcohol use influences balance, coordination and judgment, and its effects are heightened by sun exposure and heat. A drunk designated pool supervisor will not be able to pull a swimmer who is in trouble out of the pool. The assigned pool supervisor must be sober.

For a swim season unmarred by disaster heed these two simple suggestions: No. 1, determine the rules for the pool and post them and No. 2, make it a point to become aware of these ABCs of pool safety and practice them – A is adult supervision, always, B is barrier: fences, self-latching gates and alarms and C is classes – which will teach life-saving swim skills.