Blog
May 14, 2022

International Water Safety Day

Did you know May 15 is International Water Safety Day?  According to the CDC children ages 1-4 have the highest drowning rates and most drownings in children 1-4 happen in swimming pools.

Being parents with young kids living in Florida, having our kids learn to swim was a top priority.  We started them at 6 months old.  Even though we didn’t have a swimming pool at the time they were born, too many neighbors and friends had pools that they could accidentally make their way into.

When the idea of the Splash2o Aqua-Tower was created, we had our young kids in mind.  What was another option for waterplay without having a pool?  What waterplay option did we have that required minimal adult supervision?  As we approach the summer season, we especially want to continue being advocates of water safety.  If water activities are a part of your summer fun, be sure to review these Top Ten Water Safety Tips provided by the CDC below:

  • DO learn to swim. If you like to have a good time doing water activities, being a strong swimmer is a must.
  • DO take a friend along. Even though you may be a good swimmer, you never know when you may need help. Having friends around is safer and just more fun!
  • DO know your limits. Watch out for the “too’s” — too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun, too much hard activity.
  • DO swim in supervised (watched) areas only, and follow all signs and warnings.
  • DO wear a life jacket when boating , jet skiing, water skiing, rafting, or fishing.
Cartoon drawing of a raft
  • DO stay alert to currents. They can change quickly! If you get caught in a strong current, don’t fight it. Swim parallel to the shore until you have passed through it. Near piers, jetties (lines of big rocks), small dams, and docks, the current gets unpredictable and could knock you around. If you find it hard to move around, head to shore. Learn to recognize and watch for dangerous waves and signs of rip currents — water that is a weird color, really choppy, foamy, or filled with pieces of stuff.
  • DO keep an eye on the weather. If you spot bad weather (dark clouds, lighting), pack up and take the fun inside.
  • DON’T mess around in the water. Pushing or dunking your friends can get easily out of hand.
  • DON’T dive into shallow water. If you don’t know how deep the water is, don’t dive.
  • DON’T float where you can’t swim. Keep checking to see if the water is too deep, or if you are too far away from the shore or the poolside.

Check out the CDC link on water safety for more information:

https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/bam/safety/water-safety.htm