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Swimming Safely
Don't Let Summer Fun Turn Tragic By Gwen Morrison
Not many kids would turn down an invitation for a mid-afternoon swim on a hot, sunny day. But, a fun day in the pool could turn tragic if safety is not a factor in their afternoon plans.
According to the U.S. Lifesaving Association, drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional death in the United States. It is also the second leading cause of death for people ages 5 through 44. Drowning is the leading cause of injury death reported in children under the age of 3.
When talking with parents, they all agree that the key to preventing injury at the pool or the beach is constant supervision.
"My son was about 3 when we signed him up for lessons," says Paula Macdonald, a mom from London, Ontario, Canada. "He did fine with the swim lessons at the local YMCA. They really enforced water safety."
Macdonald says exposure to the water is the best way to ease a child's fear, but she also agrees that kids do forget when they are having a good time to follow all the safety rules.
A report that was released in November 2000 indicated that the number of childhood deaths due to drowning in Arizona nearly doubled that year. It was noted in the report that a staggering 86 percent were determined to be preventable.
The study, published by the Arizona Department of Health Services, stated that 42 children died from drowning in 2000 and 22 died the year 
prior. Fifty percent of the deaths were the result of drowning in a backyard pool. There was an astounding census that showed that all of these deaths occurred due to a lack of supervision. In 13 of the cases, there was inadequate pool fencing around the pool or no fence at all to prevent entry into the pool.
