Fall Important Season for Child Water Safety

Because it is past Labor Day, adults stop thinking about pools and water safety. But at an awareness event on Tuesday, held jointly between , , the and Sen. John Albers, experts suggested that this is a dangerous time for kids around pools and other bodies of water.

“We want to keep children’s safety on the forefront of our minds,” said Reg James, division manager for Rural/Metro Ambulance. “Backyard and neighborhood pools are still open.”

For U.S. children five to 14 years of age, unintentional injury is the leading cause of death. Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional-injury deaths among children, following motor vehicle accidents. It is also the third most common cause of death for children under five, unintended or not.

But parents’ focus on water safety diminishes in the fall. Most children who drowned in pools were in the care of one or both parents and were last seen within five minutes.

“Drownings are preventable deaths,” said James, at a press conference at North Fulton Hospital in Roswell.

Roswell Fire Chief Ricky Spencer noted that two children have drowned in Roswell in the last 10 years and that is two too many.

 “We’re proud to partner with the Roswell Fire Department in reminding our community about the ABCs of water safety,” James said.

The ABCs are:

(A)dults should supervise children in and around water. Remove children from the water for any distraction such as a telephone call.

(B)arriers between children and water can save a life. Have a fence that isolates your swimming pool and spa from the home and play yard.

(C)lasses in CPR for adults and swimming lessons for children will help everyone know what to do in an emergency.

“We are following the ABCs to prevent drowning,” said state Sen. John Albers (R-Roswell). “We need to protect children throughout the year." 

The offers swimming lessons for people of all ages.

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