Children have great fun swimming
in pools or at the beach. But it is important that children stay safe any time
they are around water.
All children should know how to
swim well enough to survive an emergency. They should always swim with a buddy
who has the ability to help them if needed.
Children should stay out of the
water if they are overheated or overtired. They should never dive unless they
know the area well enough, and they are certain the water is deep enough.
Make sure children check with a
lifeguard about beach and surf conditions before swimming in the ocean.
Tell them if they ever think
they are being pulled out by a rip current, they should stay calm. Instead of
fighting the current, they should swim parallel to the beach. Once they feel
free of the current, they should then swim to shore.
Finally, children should not
overestimate their swimming ability. Weak swimmers should stay in the shallow
end of a pool, or within an area marked off for them with buoyed lines.
In the ocean, swimming short
distances parallel to the shore is safest.
Swimming can provide great
exercise and fun. But it is important that children understand the dangers and
stay “water safe.”
