Summer is a time for barbecues, visiting theme parks, and poolside fun with friends and family. Summer is also when pool related accidents are at their highest, turning a day of fun in the sun into a tragedy. These tragedies are especially horrific when they involve the death of young children.
But there are ways to prevent swimming pool accidents and injuries. There are ways to keep everyone safe and have fun in the sun without worry. We are here to help you prevent swimming pool accidents before they start and keep your Summer fun and safe for you and your loved ones.
Some Swimming Statistics
Did you know that drowning is one of the leading causes of unintentional deaths worldwide? According to the Centers for Disease Control, it is the fifth leading cause of unintentional deaths. But it is the number one cause of unintentional deaths for children ages one through four-years-old.
Every day in the United States alone, ten people die from unintentional drowning. Out of those ten people, two are children age fourteen or younger. That equates to an average of 3,536 deaths a year in the United States. And statistics from the World Health Organization show that drowning leads to 372,000 unintentional deaths annually worldwide.
Additional statistics from the U.S. The Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows just how much of an issue this is, especially for young children.
- 76 percent of U.S.swimming pool drowning deaths involved children five-years-old and younger.
- 75 percent of drowning deaths involving children younger than fifteen occurred at privately owned swimming pools. And out of that 75 percent, 17 percent of these deaths happened in above-ground pools. And out of that 17 percent, 9 percent of those pediatric deaths occurred in kiddie pools.
- 47 percent of child swimming pool injuries happened at a residential swimming pool. 27 percent happened at a public pool or spa. And the other 26 percent happened at an unknown location.
How to Prevent Accidents & Injuries from Happening
There are a lot of ways drowning accidents and other poolside injuries can happen. But the good news is that there are a lot of ways you can prevent these accidents from happening as well.
- Keep small children supervised at all times: Because small children are at the biggest risk for drowning, it is important to watch them at all times. Keep the child at arms reach always and try to limit the number of activities for adults to do. Since drowning happens quickly and quietly, even one moment of distraction could be the difference between saving them or them dying.
- Proper equipment & poolside etiquette: Ensure that all small children and any older children who aren’t good swimmers have the proper equipment on them at all times. Wearing life jackets will help prevent them from drowning if they fall into the pool. Also, ensure that proper poolside etiquette is being followed at all times. Keep rough play and running to a minimum.
- Avoid alcohol: There’s nothing like some beer or margaritas by the pool on a hot summer day. But alcohol can lead to impaired senses and reflexes, meaning if you fall into the pool intoxicated, you might not make it back out. So try to implement a no alcohol rule by the pool if possible, or put a drink limit for guests to avoid anyone becoming too intoxicated.
- Keep pool clear of obstructions: Pool toys add to pooltime fun, but can become hazards if someone is drowning. Unnecessary pool toys can lead to the person becoming trapped underwater because the toys prevent them from getting out of the pool. So if a pool toy isn’t being used, pull it out of the pool and put it off to the side.
- Keep pool properly covered when not in use: After all the pooltime fun is done and over with, putting a cover over your pool and closing up any fencing that is around your pool will prevent small children or anyone else from accidentally falling into the pool.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a swimming pool related injury or a loved one has died from drowning, you might have a premises liability claim on your hands. If that is the case, contact an attorney at a law firm who specializes in these types of cases. If you are in need of legal advice and counsel, contact Marcelo Saenz at 305-441-5955.
