Officials urge public to know ABC’s of swimming

It’s the beginning of pool season and officials are urging everyone to be safe.

“It can happen in just a couple of seconds,” said Rural Metro Fire Battalion Chief, John Walka.

Just this year, News 4 Tucson has reported on an elderly woman who drowned. In another incident, a toddler nearly drowned after officials say an adult supervising got distracted.

“In these last two instances, it was adult supervision,” said Walka. “Where there was actually a break in that component that caused these incidents to happen.”

He says it’s critical for the public to remember the ABC’s of swimming:

A is for adult supervision.
B is for barriers between you and the pool.
C is for classes, whether it’s taking a CPR class or getting your child enrolled in swimming lessons.

If you have a pool, make sure it’s fenced off and locked from public access. If you have children near the pool, look into fencing that can keep them from climbing in unsupervised.

“So you got to think like a child and look around your yard and say, what is it that I could use as a step to get over that fence,” Walka said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of death in children under the age of four.

“Drowning is actually a silent event when a small child goes underwater.  There’s not a lot of screaming. There is not a lot of splashing,” said Walka. “It’s usually a very silent event because, at that point, the victim is struggling to get above water.”

For more information on CPR classes, you can call your local Fire Department or click here. For more information on swimming lessons, click here. 

See KVOA