RALEIGH.- Insurance Commissioner and President of Safe Kids NC, Mike Causey, urges parents and guardians of minors to take water safety measures to prevent children from losing themselves in the water.
The beaches will be packed this Memorial Day weekend. Remember to pay attention to the warning flags on the beach that indicate the possibility of rip currents. The force of a rip current is strong enough to carry the strongest swimmer out to sea.
“Many families will be looking forward to activities at the beach or at the pool,” Commissioner Causey said. “I hope everyone takes safety precautions to prevent tragedies on the water this Memorial Day weekend and throughout the summer.”
According to Safe Kids NC, drowning is the second leading cause of death for children ages 1-14. It is the leading cause of unintentional death in children under 4 years of age.
If you get caught in a rip current, stay calm, don’t fight the current, and swim out of the current parallel to the shoreline. If at any point you can’t make it to shore, call attention and ask for help.
“Most people think that drowning involves waving your arms or desperately crying out for help, but that’s not the case, Commissioner Causey said. “Drowning occurs silently when a helpless person cannot breathe.”
Safe Kids NC estimates that 10% of parents watch their children drown because they don’t know what is happening. Rescuers have just 20 seconds to save a person from drowning.
Commissioner Causey offers the following recommendations:
• Always watch children and never leave them unattended
• Keep children away from drains, pipes and other pool openings. • Always keep a charged phone nearby.
• Know how to perform CPR on children and adults.
• Understand the basics of lifesaving so you can help in an emergency. • Install a fence at least four feet high around the perimeter of a pool or spa.
• Use self-closing and self-latching doors.
• Make sure all pools and spas have compliant drain covers. Install an alarm on the door leading from the house to the pool.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska from pexels
