While most people are staying home with their children, those with pools need to be vigilant in making sure their children are staying safe. It only takes a second for a child to slip out a back door and fall into a pool. The statistics below are from the DCF database.
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As of June 15, there have been 33 child drowning fatalities in 2020, a 37.5% increase from that time last year.
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Since the initial analysis in mid-April, 19 deaths have been added to the DCF database for 2020.
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Just over 72% of fatalities in the database for 2020 occurred in home swimming pools.
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In at least 69% of cases, narrative provided in the DCF dataset indicates a gap in supervision allowed the child to “get out of the home undetected”.
Tips to help keep children safe:
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Always stay in an arms length of your children while they are in water.
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Avoid using your phone. Phones are a huge distraction.
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Do not rely on water wings
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Sign Kids up for swimming lessons
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Have safety gear, a reach pole, life jacket, throw rope
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Teach children the safety rules:
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No running near the pool
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No diving in the shallow end
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No pushing people in
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No pulling other kids under the water
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No swimming without adult supervision
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Learn how to perform CPR on your child.
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Install a secure fence around the pool.
