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STATEWIDE — Medical experts are stressing the importance of being safe around the water this summer.
Now that most children are out of school for the summer, many are looking forward to going swimming at the local pool or nearby body of water they enjoy going to. Experts are reminding you that your children should not be going to the pool or lake alone.
“The more we can be near our kids when they are in the water the better,” said Lori Baldwin, injury prevention coordinator for Ascension St. Vincent and Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital.
“I think it’s intuitive, especially when they are babies and toddlers, it’s pretty intuitive we need to be right beside them. The thing about drowning it is that it’s silent. You’re not going to hear a kid yell out like they would if they fell off a bike or a swing.”
Baldwin said that every child learns to swim at their own pace and that you should never rely solely on lifeguards to make sure your child is safe in the water at a local pool. As for swimming in a lake or pond, Baldwin advises you to get your child a light-colored swimsuit or swimwear for that you can easily keep an eye on them.
Life jackets are also essential for when swimming in an open body of water.
Baldwin says even adults should never swim alone.
“Even a very skilled adult that’s been swimming, we never want people to be in the water alone because emergencies happen. Medical emergencies do happen in a body of water,” she said.
