Beach And Pool Safety

With the City's beaches and public pools now open, the YMCA of Greater New York offers water safety tips for beach, pool and water park swimming.
&#8220Learning how to be safe in and around water is essential to survival,” said Mary O'Donoghue, Aquatic Specialist for the YMCA of Greater New York. &#8220In addition to building character and self-confidence, swimming lessons provide children and adults with leadership, safety and rescue skills. These important survival skills allow parents and children to enjoy a lifetime of both fun and healthy activity at pools, beaches and water parks.”
O'Donoghue warns that all of us are at some risk for drowning. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the highest groups at risk for drowning are adult males and children. Adult males account for 80 percent of fatal drownings in the United States, and drowning remains the second-leading cause of injury-related deaths for children ages one to 14 years.
Backyard Pool Safety
Compared to backyard pools, relatively few accidents occur in public pools or guarded beaches. The CDC says the majority of all drownings occurring in children under the age of five happen in residential swimming pools. The following safety measures should be observed for backyard pools:
Use of the pool should always be supervised by an adult who knows pool rules and emergency procedures and who can swim.
The area should have a secure fence surrounding the pool with childproof locks to guard against unsupervised swimming. A fence is necessary even if the pool is located directly outside of patio doors. The gates should be locked when no adult is present.
Establish pool rules and post them near the pool. Don't allow running or horseplay around the pool. Be careful with inflatable toys that may deflate unexpectedly. Use only unbreakable containers in the pool area.
Be prepared for emergencies. Have a long pole, a ring buoy with a throwing line and a first aid kit nearby. Keep emergency phone numbers handy. Get training in lifesaving, first aid, and CPR.
To prevent injuries, make sure all divers use caution. Allow diving only where the water is deep - at least nine feet from the deck - and tell divers to check the water depth before diving.
Public Pool & Beach Safety
Pool and beach fun starts with a clean, safe place to swim. When you choose a place for your family to swim, make sure: The area is supervised by a lifeguard; the water is clean; the facility is clean and well maintained; no electrical or power lines are in the area; emergency communications and safety equipment are available; the depth of the water is marked and life lines separate the shallow from the deep water.
The YMCA of Greater New York teaches over 20,000 children and adults in group swim instruction and trains more than 50 lifeguards every year. This summer alone, there are more than 200 lifeguards supervising the pools at 18 YMCA branches throughout the five boroughs and at the lakefronts of the three YMCA sleep-away camps upstate New York.
O'Donoghue also noted that the YMCA is celebrating its 100th anniversary of teaching Americans how to swim. Tens of millions of people across the United States have learned how to swim at the YMCA, including Olympic gold medalists Mark Spitz, Greg Louganis and Janet Evans, as well as President Ronald Reagan.
For more information about these programs, visit www.ymcanyc.org.
- Mary O'Donoghue is Aquatic Specialist for the YMCA of Greater New York