BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) – As the weather gets warmer, many people will head to the water to cool off. Whether its in the pool, a lake, or the river, people need take the necessary level of caution.
According to the CDC, there are 11 drowning deaths per day in the U.S., it’s the leading cause of death for children. But there are ways to help prevent drowning, some as simple as the color of your bathing suit.
“Those brighter colors that will be more visible in the water whether you’re in the pool or the lake or river. You know, something that makes you identifiable that people can see if something happens and they try to look for you, something they’d be able to identify you easily,” said Myles Chamblee, director of the Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency. “That’s not just your bathing suit bottoms but if you’re swimming in the lake and boats are coming by, if it’s just your upper body, it’s not a lot to be seen there so you want to make sure that you’re visible to others if something does happen.”
Calhoun County EMA says if your child does not know how to swim, they should always be in a flotation device approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. Chamblee says the approved floaties have a seal on them.
“We just encourage everybody to be responsible, be mindful, be cautious while you’re at the pool, especially if there’s small children involved. You know identify somebody just to be the ‘water watcher’ to watch those children even if they do have their life vests on but just to watch them and keep an eye on them if something happens and you’re at the pool, at the lake, at the river,” Chamblee said. “If you’re all in the water and something happens, you need somebody that can get help and call 911.”
For more information from the CDC on how you can prevent drowning, click on the link here.
