Summertime Swimming Safety Tip

Every year at about this time, we take to the swimming pool to try to beat the rising temperatures. Many who take advantage of the pool are children out of school for summer vacation. Encouragement of safe recreational outings is something we all, as parents, provide with activities that involve swimming. We support this traditional activity at The Law Offices of Young Wooldridge LLP located in Bakersfield, CA. As personal injury lawyers, we would like to create a reminder to families the understanding of unanticipated accidents which occur annually in swimming pools to prevent and reduce these accidents. The most frequent cause of injury accidents that occur within swimming pools is leaving children unsupervised. Children left unsupervised create vulnerability to causing an accident not only to themselves but to others. In this regard, our Bakersfield injury lawyers have gathered several valuable tips to reduce the possibility of a swimming pool accident among children occurring again.

• First, encourage children to swim within the designated areas that are supervised by a swim and first aid competent adult.
• Never trust or rely on another child to assume the responsibility of acting as a “lifeguard” when an adult is absent.
• Keep gates and fences secured around pools, particularly when not in use.
• Do not rely on floatable water devices as life preservers to substitute for an adult’s presence.
• If a child is missing, CHECK the pool first, remember that these seconds within searching can prevent an injury or worse.
• Teach children the importance of pool safety.

As a family, there can be much done to encourage a safe swim experience for all by understanding and discussing the importance of pool safety. Children as well are required to demonstrate a competence of what they had learned through adult observation and accountability.

One quick and easy way adults can to begin learn about pool safety practices by visiting the American Red Cross Swimming Safety website which is devoted to swim safety at https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/water-safety/swim-safety.html

What is convenient about the American Red Cross site, is that there are several online training courses that can be completed for a safe summer swim!