Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/856438
t m c » p u l s e | a u g u s t 2 0 1 7 11 Staying safe in the water While some of the concern surround- ing dry drowning may be misplaced, drowning is the second leading cause of death by unintentional injury in children in the United States, according to the World Health Organization. "The heartbreaking thing about drowning is that it is almost always preventable and it could happen to anyone," Lapus said. The best ways to keep children safe are to ensure they cannot access pools or bodies of water alone, to be vigilant while they are swimming and to know how to perform CPR. "A four-sided fence with a gate that is not easily unlatched is key for keep- ing kids safe," Chumpitazi said. "Pool alarms or pool covers are not substi- tutes for fences, which should also be hard to climb." Lapus said children who are swim- ming should be monitored by at least one undistracted adult at all times. "It's important to have a dedicated pool watcher whose sole job is to have their eyes on the kids in the pool," Lapus said. "They should not be talking with other adults or otherwise distracted." Another major piece of the puzzle for keeping kids safe near water is ensuring they know how to swim. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says "most children age 4 and older should learn to swim," and that children may start swimming lessons as early as a year old. Wolfies Swim School holds swim- ming lessons at the West University Place Recreation Center for children starting at 18 months, as well as parent- child water classes for infants as young as 4 months. "We teach basic survival skills— flipping on their back, how to get to a wall or get to safety if they were to fall in a pool—and also technical skills like side breathing, backstroke, breast- stroke," said Brenell Ashton, aquatics director at Wolfies Swim School. "We also encourage them to practice at home. After our lessons we talk to parents about everything we worked on and what they can do." While knowing how to swim lowers the risk of drowning, even children and adults who are strong swimmers can struggle in the water. "We've seen kids come in even with adults standing by the pool paying attention, suddenly they notice the toddler is at the bottom of the pool," Chumpitazi said. "'I only looked away for a second'—that's all the time that's needed for them to get in distress." Lapus noted that in addition to happening quickly, true drowning does not typically look like the drowning portrayed in movies or on TV. "We always think about drowning like splashing around, crying for help, but a lot of times kids are too focused on trying to stay above water, and it's often silent," Lapus said. "That's why it's important to always remember to be watching closely. Depending on the age of the kid, you should be within arm's length." Downtown Greenway Galleria Med Center Fo r t B e n d P k w y Sienna Pkwy at Hwy 6 New homes from the $280s siennaplantation.com/homes Darling . CalAtlantic . Chesmar David Weekley . Gracepoint . Highland Meritage . MI Homes . Newmark . Perry Shea . Taylor Morrison . Toll Brothers Trendmaker . Westin 20 + Parks, 35 + Miles of Trails, Camp Siea, Siea S t les, and Golf Club! See what's NEW at Sienna: NEW! NEW! Sawmill Lake Club Fitness • Pool NEW! Fort Bend Tollway nonstop to 610! NEW! 20+ Gorgeous New Model Homes ...all this and more. Visit Sienna Plantation today! Evenings of LUXURY Thursdays in Aug, 5-7pm siennaplantation.com/luxury 6th On-site Fort Bend ISD School Opening in August! An instructor at Wolfies Swim School helps a young student float on her back.