PARENT ALERT: take action to keep kids safe in the water

The biggest killer of Australian children under four is drowning in swimming pools.

Last weekend alone an 18-month-old girl died in a backyard pool in Griffith in NSW; and a two-year-old boy was pulled unconscious from a backyard pool in Sydney’s north-west. His family managed to revive him with CPR and he is recovering in hospital.

It’s a harrowing reminder of the vigilance parents need to maintain around water.

A combination of factors leads to the frequency of such preventable tragedies:

* We teach children to love water from an early age by making bath time fun so they will play with water in a puddle, in a bucket and in particular in a pool;

* Toddlers are more resourceful than we realise. They can open locked doors, secure gates and climb over fences using outdoor furniture;

* Most families haven’t completed a CPR course at all, or updated their skills recently;

* Over the ‘silly season’, adults relax and sometimes consume alcohol. Supervision of children can be less than ideal;

* Drowning is silent. There is no screaming or thrashing. They simply sink to the bottom.

When it comes to preventing child deaths from drowning it is about layers of protection. It’s not about just getting a pool fence or just teaching children how to swim. It’s about doing ALL of the following:

ACTION 1: Book children into swimming classes from an early age. Practice jumping into the pool fully clothed and finding their way to the side;

ACTION 2: Remove all outdoor furniture, toys and any object a toddler could possibly use to climb over a pool fence;

ACTION 3: Organise for all family, friends and carers to complete a CPR course. Group bookings are available through St John Ambulance:

ACTION 4: Always have at least one parent assigned to the task of staying alcohol free over the holidays and keeping an eye on the children;

ACTION 5: SEND THIS POST TO FAMILY, FRIENDS, PARENTS…

It’s about keeping the risk top of mind. Every family thinks their home is safe. No parent expects their child to drown in their backyard pool but it is happening EVERY WEEKEND.

The Royal Lifesaving Society has released this CPR for children card:

Print your copy of the Royal Lifesaving pool safety checklist here.

Have you ever had a drowning scare at a pool?