Drowning Prevention Devices

Every year, more than 300 children in the United States drown in swimming pools. Most drowning deaths are preventable. There are basically two types of drowning prevention devices – those that are intended to keep a person afloat when in the water, and those that are supposed to sound an alert when a person falls into the water.

How Good Are Drowning Prevention Devices?

The sad reality is that there’s no device that’s guaranteed to prevent drowning. A U.S. Coast Guard approved lifejacket is probably the best protection against accidental drowning, but let’s be realistic – how many people do you see at the beach or in pools who are wearing life jackets? It just doesn’t happen. Besides, people have been known to end up face down in the water even when wearing an approved flotation device

Pool alarms are available that sound an alert when motion is detected the water, but one problem is that many don’t sound the alarm in time – a person can drown in seconds, and many pool alarms take 20 seconds or more to go off. The other problem is that some alarms go off far too often. Everyone has heard of fire alarms that people disconnect because every little thing causes them to go off. People do the same thing with their pool alarms.

There are also wrist sensors that sound the alarm when a child enters the water. Of course, for it to work, the child actually has to be wearing it.

You get the idea – there’s no point in relying on any type of device to protect you or a loved one from drowning.

So How Do I Protect My Kids From Drowning?

The best way to avoid having to deal with the pain of a drowning death in your family is to make sure that everyone knows how to swim, and to understand that even the best swimmer is not completely indemnified against the possibility of drowning. Don’t leave children alone in the water, even for a minute. If you go inside to answer the phone, just in that length of time, your child could drown. Most kids don’t make any noise when they slip under the water, and when they do, they can lose consciousness in just two minutes. Even when you’re supervising pool activity, if you turn away, by the time you look back it could already be too late – brain damage takes place within five minutes, and death in not much longer.

Make sure children don’t run or engage in other horseplay in the pool, and don’t allow children to supervise other children. Remember how easily distracted you were in your younger years? Whoever is supervising your kids, make sure that they know CPR, and that they have access to flotation devices to use if rescue is needed.

A Footnote

It’s worth mentioning that children aren’t the only people in your family who could be at risk for drowning. Make sure that if you’re water-skiing or boating, you wear your life jacket at all times. No matter what your level of experience, you could still have an accident. Never swim alone, and if you’re going to drink, stay out of the water. Your best protection against drowning is common sense.