DROWNING: THE SILENT KILLER

Would there be a shout for help, or at least frantic splashing, if someone was drowning? Probably not.

Drowning has been dubbed the “Silent Killer” because there is very little sound and often no cry for help. Young victims can slip beneath the surface and never make a splash as they struggle under the water. Almost half of very young drowning victims were last seen in the house, and over two-thirds were not expected to be at or in the pool, yet were found in the water. The most common victim is a two-year-old boy.

Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children under five in Arizona. Near drownings, in which victims are resuscitated but suffer a temporary lack of oxygen, leave numerous children with permanent brain damage or paralysis every year.

Drownings can happen in just a few inches of water, such as might be in a wading pool, bathtub, cleaning bucket or toilet. Toddlers’ upper bodies are proportionately heavier than those of adults. If toddlers fall or bend forward into a bucket or wading pool, they may lose their balance and not have the strength to pull their faces out of the water.

Drownings are preventable. Constant adult supervision for children around water is the most critical factor; drownings can happen in the brief time it takes to answer the phone. No child, including one who can swim, should be considered “water-safe.” Nor should any amount of water, from a bucket to a full pool, remain accessible and unwatched, when young children are around.

On holiday weekends, when folks are socializing and there a plenty of people to watch over children, sometimes everyone assumes someone else is watching. Too often, no one is.

One or more alert, focused adults should be designated as a water watcher for all social gatherings at or near pools. Watchers should do nothing but watch the water for trouble - no reading, yard work, etc. Rotating short shifts will help keep water watchers’ attention sharp. In homes with both young children and pools, an alarm on the door leading from the house to the pool will notify caregivers when the door is unexpectedly opened. Power safety covers provide another valuable layer of protection.

Call Pima County Development Services at (520) 740-6490 or Marana Development Services at (520) 297-2920 for specific information on codes regarding fences and pool covers. Use the following guidelines to help make your backyard or community pool safer:

• Have a perimeter pool fence at least 5 feet high, with self-closing and self-latching gates and vertical spacing of no more than 4 inches, constructed so that it cannot be climbed.

• Keep gates closed and locked when the pool is not in use.

• Fences, latches and door locks leading to the pool should be at least 4 1/2 feet above the ground.

• Keep the area around the pool picked up and free of toys and other objects that might attract children.

• Keep life saving devices near the pool.

• Make sure family members and caregivers, including grandparents, know CPR, water safety rules, and how to get help.

• Designate one person to watch children (inside or outside) when at places with pools.

• If you must leave to answer the phone or attend to a task, remove young children from the pool area and make sure that they cannot return without your knowing it.

Remember, drownings can happen in seconds. Never prop a pool gate open, even for a moment. Never leave a child alone in or around water, even for a moment. Have an adult watching any time a child could gain access to water, and learn CPR.

For additional safety information, or to sign up for CPR classes, call Northwest Fire/Rescue Life Safety Services at 887-1010