Join Us in Celebrating National Water Safety Month. In recognition of the popularity of swimming and other water-related recreational activities in the United States and the resulting need for ongoing public education on safer water practices, May has been designated National Water Safety Month! Help us spread awareness of the importance of water safety and prevent Louisiana from having the 3rd highest drowning rate in the United States, these deaths are preventable!
Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children 1-4 years old.
47% of these deaths (almost half of them!) were in a pool, hot tub, or spa compared to only 26% in natural water such as a lake, river, pond, creek or canal.
In bout 42% of these deaths, the most prominent risk factor that kept coming up was the lack of supervision.
Drowning is not always fatal! In Louisiana, about 28 children 1-4 years old are hospitalized each year for drowning-related injuries.
*Information above provided by the Louisiana Department of Health
Safety Tips for Water Safety
Follow these simple safety tips from the National Safety Council. Together, we can change the number to ZERO deaths:
- Don’t go in the water unless you know how to swim; swim lessons are available for all ages
- Never leave your child alone; if you have to leave, take your child with you
- Never swim alone
- Learn CPR and rescue techniques
- Swim in areas supervised by a lifeguard
- Don’t push or jump on others
- Never drink alcohol when swimming; alcohol is involved in about half of all male teen drownings, according to KidsHealth.org
