Summer and Water Safety
Hello MIP patients and families!
It’s SUMMER!!! Finally, I can declare that even the weather is cooperating with us and we can be outside more and enjoy all the amazing outdoor recreation the Pacific Northwest has to offer. This especially includes swimming in our many lakes, rivers, streams and local pools as the temperatures heat up (to the 80’s!!?). For kids though, water safety is not a given and we parents need to be vigilant. Washington State actually has one of the highest rates of drowning in the country.
I like to ask about swimming and water safety when I see patients this time of year. However, I am always surprised to come across kids and young adults who don’t know how to swim. I don’t mean Michael Phelps, I just mean basic survival. As recent news reports clearly show, a tragedy can happen in seconds and often with adults and others mere feet away from a child in the water.
There’s obvious risks like the ice cold, fast moving mountain rivers or impaired/inebriated boaters with life jackets near, but not on their under-aged passengers. Too often, though, a parent’s perception that their child is safe in the water or is being supervised leads to a false sense of security. Consider formalizing your family’s water safety with one of the excellent swim programs put on by the YMCA, or other local organizations. Check out some safety tips as well:
CDC's 'Five Minutes or Less for Health' Weekly Tip: Prevent Drownings
CDC's Child Safety and Injury Prevention: Drowning Prevention
And also, for a super fun event for the end of the summer, check out Swim Across America.
Happy safe swimming to all!