Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald: Be safe around water this summer.
PHOENIX — Death and injury from drownings happen every day in home pools and hot tubs, or in lakes, rivers and streams, bathtubs, and even buckets.
The American Red Cross Arizona New Mexico Region believes that by working together to improve swimming skills, water smarts, and helping others, water activities can be safer and just as much fun.
“The American Red Cross encourages families to make water safety a priority to build confidence in water, for life,” said Merydth Walter, director of Regional Disaster Programs for the Arizona New Mexico Region. “Preventing unsupervised access to water, providing constant, active adult supervision in and around the water, and knowing how to swim are critical layers of protection to help prevent drowning.”
Here are some Red Cross water safety tips:
- Learn to be safe, make good choices, learn to swim, and know how to handle emergencies.
- Provide constant, active adult supervision and know how to swim.
- Swim in an area with lifeguards. Designate a “water watcher” to keep a close eye and constant attention on everyone in and around the water until the next water watcher takes over.
- Wear your life jacket.
- Reach or throw, don’t go! In the event of an emergency, reach or throw an object to the person in trouble. Don’t go in! You could become a victim yourself.
- Swimming classes are available for both children and adults. Visit redcross.org/watersafety for a map of Learn-to-Swim providers in your community.
- Download the Red Cross Swim app for safety tips, kid-friendly videos, and activities, and take the free Water Safety for Parents and Caregivers online course in English or Spanish.
For more tips, go to redcross.org/WaterSafetyTips
