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.”
