Editorial

This summer, stay safe in and around the water

Posted

Whether it’s the shimmering water of a backyard pool, a lake or the ocean, having fun there necessitates a cautious approach to help ensure that children and adults remain safe. Year after year, thousands of swimmers who think they’re ready for anything get into trouble because they’re not. Just two weeks ago, well before the biggest crowds gather at area beaches, a 25-year-old Staten Island woman was rescued by a New York City police officer in choppy water off Rockaway Beach.

Wherever there’s a body of water suitable for swimming, there’s potential danger. According to the most recent research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 46,000 people died of drowning in the U.S. between 1999 and 2010, or more than 10 per day. And the 2014 report stated that drowning was the leading cause of accidental death for children under 5.

Swimming pools — relatively controlled environments in which parents are less likely to be as vigilant as they should — were the most common site of drownings of young children. The nonprofit Long Island Drowning Prevention Task Force advises that an adult should always watch younger swimmers. Common sense dictates that you shouldn’t leave their safety in the hands of the lifeguards, who can be distracted and are, after all, watching lots of kids.

Every child should learn to swim, and be taught water safety skills so that he or she is capable of helping others. And parents should be swimmers, too. There are such a wide variety of local classes at village, town and county pools that there’s simply no good excuse for not mastering the basic strokes and becoming comfortable in deep water.

At the beach, swim where lifeguards are on duty, and ask them where the surf conditions are the trickiest and where rip currents — rapids-like rushes of outgoing water that sweep even the strongest swimmers away from shore — are most likely to develop. The ocean will test anyone’s skills, so be sure you know the limits of yours. If you find yourself caught in a rip, don’t fight it. Try not to panic, swim parallel to shore, shout for help and before you know it you’ll either find calm water or be greeted by the lifeguard who’s swum out to rescue you.

For more water safety information, go to www.enddrowningnow.org.