May 2005
PLAY SAFE: MAKE DROWNING PREVENTION A PRIORITY
Children are naturally drawn to water, and given the opportunity, they will jump in and, tragically, many will die. In Florida, drowning is the leading cause of death for children under four. In Broward County, 55 children have drowned since 2002, with 33 of them between the ages of one and four. So far this year, my detectives have handled three child-drowning deaths. Adults drown too, but the vast majority of those fatalities are alcohol-related.
When the victim is a child, the deadly scenario is always the same. A toddler, loved and well cared for, is playing in the house or the yard. After a minute or two, his parent or some other adult notices that he's missing. A minute or two later, they find him facedown in the pool or the spa or the lake. If the child was submerged for just three or four minutes, and someone on the scene knows CPR, there is a slim chance that his life can be saved. If he does survive, he will be permanently brain-damaged.
Unlike so many other tragedies that we deal with at the Broward Sheriff's Office, drowning deaths are entirely preventable.
Every child in Broward County must be taught to swim at the earliest possible age. Every parent with a swimming pool needs to install a pool fence that is kept closed unless the parent is in the pool. During pool parties, one adult must be responsible for watching the kids in the pool every second. Screens need to be in good repair and screen doors need to close automatically. Sliding glass doors leading to the pool or the lake need to remain closed and locked. Remember, in the time it takes to answer the doorbell a child can exit the house and drown.
Children riding in boats should always wear personal flotation devices. Simple life jackets are available at stores everywhere for less than $10. Why would any parent not buy one and have their child wear it when they're boating?
When tiny infants drown it almost always happens in the bathtub after a ringing telephone or a screaming sibling distracts the parent. If you absolutely must leave the tub, wrap the baby in a towel and take him or her with you. An infant, happily splashing in the tub, can quickly slide down and drown in a few inches of water.
Children over 10 are most at risk when they start fooling around and exceed their limitations. A boy who knows that he's incapable of swimming across a lake will be tempted to try it if all his buddies go first.
Parents also must warn youngsters – and teenagers in particular – to never dive headfirst into a pool or lake until they have made sure it's deep enough. Every year people are paralyzed when they break their necks in diving accidents.
Swimming is great fun and good exercise, but to save lives we all need to play it safe.