Did you know?

• Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 14 and under, and the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 4.
• Although most drownings occur in swimming pools, children can drown in just one inch of water (bath tubs, toilets, hot tubs, and spas).
• Open waters such as oceans, rivers, and lakes pose a drowning threat to older children.
• When a child is submerged two minutes in water, the child loses consciousness.
• Irreversible brain damage sets in after four to six minutes of water submersion.
• Diving accidents are a significant cause of spinal cord injuries, and are responsible for about 10 per cent of spinal cord injury victims.

Swimming Pool Injury Prevention/Parents Can Help

• Never leave your child unsupervised near any body of water, including a bathtub.
• Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and infant and child first-aid.
• Do not rely on personal flotation devices (PDFs) or swimming lessons to protect your child.
• Install four-sided childproof fencing around swimming pools.
• Do not allow children to dive in water less than 9 feet deep.
• Make sure you have rescue equipment, a telephone, and emergency phone numbers near swimming pools.

If your child has been hurt while swimming contact Villari, Brandes & Kline so we can determine if the accident was the fault of another.