Attorney General Six and the Kansas State Child Death Review Board Promote Summer Water Safety

June 13, 2008 -- The sizzling summer heat is fast approaching, and many children are turning to refreshing pools, lakes, and ponds for relief. With this in mind, it is crucial that parents and caregivers carefully supervise their children when they are near the water.

“With four small children of my own, I know just how important it is to monitor kids closely when they are in or around water,” said Six. “I encourage parents to pay close attention to children when they are swimming to make sure it is a safe summer.”

From 1994 through 2005, the State Child Death Review Board (SCDRB) reviewed 142 drowning deaths. Just over half of those deaths occurred when the child was left unsupervised.

The board asks that there always be an adult around the water who is capable of responding to an emergency. The adult should be actively watching water activity and avoid distractions such as reading and chatting on cell phones. This is particularly imperative at crowded swimming areas, and adults may wish to assign a “swimming buddy” to a child.

It is encouraged to have children take swimming lessons before hitting the pools and/or lakes. However, swimming ability alone does not eliminate the need for adult supervision or for Personal Floatation Devices (PFD’s). While swimming or boating, children should always wear a properly fitted and functional PFD.

Adults should also be present during bath times for children. Many unintentional drowning deaths of infants occur in the bathtub when the child is left alone, even for a short period of time. Adults should not leave an infant unattended in any amount of water for any amount of time.

In addition, a pool at home is not the place for a child to be left unsupervised. Pools, hot tubs, and ponds should be closed off from small children and safety equipment should be readily available. A good safety measure is to install a five foot fence completely around the pool, hot tub, or pond that has a locking gate which is kept locked.

Parents and caregivers should be on the lookout for other possible drowning hazards such as buckets, water bowls, decorative landscaping ponds, or toilets.

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The SCDRB is a multi-disciplinary, multi-agency board that examines the circumstances surrounding the deaths of all Kansas children (birth through 17 years-of-age) and children who are not Kansas residents, but who die in the state. The goals of the SCDRB are to describe the trends and patterns of child deaths in Kansas, to develop prevention strategies, and to improve sources of data and communication among agencies. The Board works toward lowering child deaths in Kansas through research, education, and legislation.

For additional information, visit the SCDRB website or contact Angela Nordhus, Executive Director, at (785) 296-2215.