COLUMBUS – As Ohioans welcome the beginning of the summer season, a new report highlights the dangers of swimming in open water.
The research released Tuesday by the group Safe Kids Worldwide shows about 1,000 children die in drowning accidents each year in the U.S. and another 7,000 are taken to emergency rooms.
Most incidents involve a lake, river, pond, quarry or other natural water source where hidden dangers, like rocks and sudden drop-offs, pose a risk.
“There could be a current. The water usually isn’t as clear and so people may not see, not just a person but anything that could be under the surface that could entangle somebody such as logs or debris that might be under the water surface,” says Mary Shaffer, the Ohio Department of Health’s recreation programs administrator.
Water safety tips
Keep a close eye out on children when they are in the water
Designate a “water watcher” for larger groups of children.
Around open water, kids should have a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket on.
Parents should learn water rescue skills, including CPR
Always swim with a partner, and only in designated swimming areas
Source: Safe Kids Worldwide
The report also shows more than eight in ten children who drown in open water are male, and half of open water drownings involve kids ages 15 to 19 years of age.
The cool temperature of open water can also decrease a child’s ability to swim, the report said.