Beach & Water Safety

Posted by Gillespie Electric, Inc. on Saturday, July 20, 2019

While drowning deaths peak among one and two year olds, drownings continue to be the second leading cause of preventable death through age 15.

• 74% of drowning incidents for children younger than 15 between 2015 and 2017 occurred in residential locations.
• Boys younger than 15 die from drowning at twice the rate as girls.
• 351 children younger than 15 died in pools and spas in 2015.
• Emergency departments treat about 6,400 pool and spa injuries in children younger than 15 every year.

BEACH SAFETY: If someone’s visit to the shore includes swimming in the ocean, they should learn how to swim in the surf and only swim at a lifeguarded beach, within the designated swimming area.

• Have young children and inexperienced swimmers wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket.
• Protect the neck – don’t dive headfirst. Walk carefully into open waters.
• Keep a close eye and constant attention on children and adults while at the beach. Wave action can cause someone to lose their footing, even in shallow water.
• Watch out for aquatic life. Water plants and animals may be dangerous.

WATER SAFETY: Obey all instructions and orders from lifeguards. 

• Rip currents are powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water that are prevalent along the East, Gulf, and West coasts of the U.S., as well as along the shores of the Great Lakes.
• Moving at speeds of up to eight feet per second, rip currents can move faster than an Olympic swimmer.
• Panicked swimmers often try to counter a rip current by swimming straight back to shore—putting themselves at risk of drowning because of fatigue. If caught in a rip current, don't fight it! Swim parallel to the shore and swim back to land at an angle.
• Lifeguards rescue tens of thousands of people from rip currents in the U.S. every year, but it is estimated that 100 people are killed by rip currents annually.

Categories: Electrical Safety