This advice is from the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) for more information please visit: www.capt.org.uk/
Drowning
A drowning child can’t speak or control their arms. They slip quietly under the water. It’s only in the movies they splash about and cry for help. It’s a scary thought. But once you understand how and where drowning happens, there are things you can do to prevent it.
Babies and small children
At home, younger children are most likely to drown in the bath or garden pond. It’s important for parents to understand the risks of babies and young children being left alone, even for a moment. They may get no warning that something is wrong, as babies drown silently in as little as 5 cm of water.
- Bath seats are great for supporting your baby in the bath but they’re not safety aids – a baby shouldn’t be left alone in one even for a moment as they can slip out
- Get everything you need ready before bath time because you’ll need to stay with your baby or young child all the time they’re in the bath
- Don’t rely on your toddler to keep an eye on the baby while you pop out for a towel, as they’re still too young to understand danger.
In the garden:
- Empty the paddling pool out after you’ve used it
- Turn a pond into a sandpit, or fence it in or cover it while your children are little
- Make sure your child can’t get to the neighbour’s pond
- Be alert to ponds or pools when visiting other people’s homes.
Children under 8
Children under 8 still need to be supervised in and around water. They might understand safety instructions but are likely to forget in the heat of the moment. Remember that children don’t cry out for help and wave to be rescued. Instead they disappear under the surface of the water, often unseen.
Older children
As children become older and possibly stronger swimmers, it’s important to educate both them and their parents about water safety. They may still lack the strength and skills to get themselves out of trouble if they find themselves in strong currents or deep water, or discover too late dangerous objects lurking in the water.
- Teach older children to choose safe places to swim like public pools and beaches with lifeguards
- Explain the dangers of swimming in open water, including strong currents, deep, cold water and things under the surface they can’t see.
At the beach:
- Teach children to swim between the red and yellow flags – these mark the areas patrolled by lifeguards
- Inflatables can be swept out to sea when the wind is blowing – keep children off inflatables when the orange windsock is flying and always keep an eye on them.