It’s summertime in Vero and there’s no better way to beat the heat than a refreshing dip in the ocean or a plunge in the pool. Water is our best friend when it comes to cooling off, but it can also be a death trap for non-swimmers, particularity children.
“Drowning is one of the leading causes of death in children under 4 years of age,” said Dr. Corinne Bria, emergency medicine pediatrician at Nemours Children’s Health, Florida.
“It’s caused by a submersible event and can be fatal or non-fatal. For those children lucky enough to survive a non-fatal drowning, there may be long-lasting health problems, as brain damage can occur in children in as little as two minutes. Children under the age of 1 can drown in less than 2 inches of water, so even buckets, toilets and bathtubs are hazardous.”
Nationally about 1 in 5 people who die from drowning are children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency medical attention for non-fatal near drowning.
Most drownings happen in home swimming pools among children ages 1-4. About 40 percent of drownings among children 5 to 14 occur in natural water and about 30 percent occur in swimming pools. More than half of fatal and nonfatal near drowning among people 15 years or older occur in natural waters like lakes, rivers or oceans.
Contrary to common perception, drowning isn’t usually a dramatic event with the swimmer splashing and failing around. Instead it is a silent, quick process.
“Drowning looks like a person who is trying to stand in the water, making a ladder climbing motion in an attempt to keep their head above water,” Dr. Bria explained. “That is one of the problems with the popular water wings flotation devices for toddlers. It unfortunately puts them in an upright drowning position. A better option for a flotation device is a life vest with an additional flap around the back of their head that actually rolls the child on his back to keep his head above water.”
Fortunately, drowning is a preventable tragedy. The first line of defense is constant supervision, especially when there are children involved. Many drownings occur when adults are present but not focused on the water. Dr. Bria recommends having a designated water watcher who is responsible for watching the water at all times when children are swimming. An adult should be close to children at all times when in the water. Remember that flotation devices are not a substitute for supervision.
It’s also important to install a safety fence around a home pool. Even pools with screen enclosures should have a safety fence because the children learn early on how to open doors and it only takes a minute to run to the pool.
“If possible, take your infant to a survival class that teaches them to roll on their back and float if they fall into a body of water,” Dr. Bria said. “Teach them to swim at an early age and insist they always swim near a lifeguard in a public pool, lake or beach.”
Based on the past 10 years of data comparing estimated beach attendance to the number of drowning deaths in areas under lifeguard protection, the United States Lifeguard Association (USLA) has calculated that the chance of a person fatally drowning while attending a beach protected by USLA affiliated lifeguard is 1 in 18 million. The 2022 USLA national annual statistics account for 53,552 rescues, with 99 drownings in unguarded beaches and only 28 in guarded beaches.
“Pools and oceans are two vastly different types of working environments,” said David Smith, Aquatics Manager for Indian River County Parks and Recreation Department. “The ocean environment is more unpredictable and the pools are more of a controlled environment. At the pools, the lifeguards deal with a large number of swimmers in a smaller area. Most of our rescues at pools are assists or medical issues. The guards must stay vigilant and scan the water constantly and enforce the rules of the facility.
“The motto on the beach is a dry lifeguard is a good lifeguard. What that means is we work to prevent things from happening by going down and warning the beachgoers of the dangers before they get in trouble and we’d need to go in and rescue them.”
Learning to swim is the best insurance against drowning. The USLA states that participation in formal swim lessons can reduce the likelihood of childhood drowning death by 88 percent. It’s not all about learning strokes either. It’s about learning water survival skills, water safety and confidence in the water.
When swimming in the open water be constantly aware of your surroundings and pay attention to warnings signs and flags posted by lifeguards.
The USLA has found that more than 80 percent of rescues by lifeguards at ocean beaches are caused by rip currents. This year alone there have been 25 rip current deaths in Florida.
Rip currents are channelized currents of water flowing away from shore at surf beaches that typically form at breaks in sandbars or near structures such as piers and rock groins.
Rip currents do not pull you under water, so if you get caught in one, relax and swim along the shoreline or toward breaking waves and then angle to the beach. Do not exhaust yourself by swimming against the current. Instead, swim out of the current. You may also be able to escape by floating or treading water if the current circulates back to shore. If you feel you are unable to reach the shore, wave for assistance.
Many people have died trying to rescue rip current victims, so do not become a victim while trying to help someone else. Instead get help from a lifeguard or call 911 while directing the victim to swim along the shoreline. If possible, throw the victim something that floats.
Other important tips: Never swim alone and avoid water recreation when consuming alcohol. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, alcohol is involved in up to 70 percent of deaths and nearly a quarter of Emergency Department visits for drownings among adolescents and adults. Alcohol influences balance, coordination and judgment, and its effects are heightened by sun exposure and heat.
Always check for depth and obstructions before entering the water and then enter feet first.
Life-altering injuries can occur from diving headfirst and striking the bottom or some underwater structure such as a rock or timber.
“Teenagers typically drown in open water like oceans and lakes and most of the occurrences are related to impulsive behavior like diving off a boat,” Dr. Bria added. “Part of this behavior is due to the underdevelopment of their brains at that age resulting in flawed judgment.”
Wearing a life jacket is the simplest and safest strategy for recreational boating, paddling or towed water sports. Nearly 77 percent of boating accident fatalities are from drowning and 84 percent of those were not wearing life jackets.
In Florida, all boats are required to carry a Coast Guard approved wearable life jacket for each person onboard. All passengers 6 years of age and under are required to wear a Coast Guard-approved, Type 1 or 111 life jacket while on board any boat under 26 feet in length while the boat is underway. Additionally, any person aboard a personal watercraft and anyone being towed behind a boat is required to wear a Coast Guard-approved jacket.
“If you witness someone drowning, the first thing to do is get them out of the water. Let them cough or vomit as that is the natural way to clear airways,” Dr. Bria advised. “Call 911.
If you know CPR, start administering it. It you don’t a 911 operator can walk you through the process so you can get lifesaving measures started before EMS arrives.”
One of the perks of living in Florida is enjoying the vast waters that surround us, so be safe, take precautions and enjoy the splash!
