May is Drowning Prevention Month. What to know about pool safety

May is Drowning Prevention Month. What to know about pool safety

Updated: 12:50 PM PDT May 26, 2025

MONTH MORE THAN 12,000 CALIFORNIANS DIED FROM DROWNING BETWEEN 1991 AND 2020, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL BE OUTDOORS TODAY FOR THE HOLIDAYS. SO OFFICIALS SAY NOW IS THE TIME OF YEAR FOR PARENTS TO BECOME EDUCATED ABOUT HOW TO KEEP THEIR CHILDREN SAFE AROUND WATERWAYS. AND JOINING ME LIVE THIS MORNING TO TALK MORE ABOUT POOL SAFETY IS STEVE BARROW, THE STATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF THE CALIFORNIA COALITION FOR CHILDREN’S SAFETY AND HEALTH. STEVE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. THIS MORNING FOR HAVING ME. TELL ME WHY THIS TIME OF YEAR IS EXTRA DANGEROUS. WELL, BECAUSE OF THE YOU KNOW, THE WEATHER GETS WARM, LIKE HERE IN CALIFORNIA. SACRAMENTO. IT’S BEAUTIFUL. HERE WE HAVE LAKES, WE HAVE RIVERS, WE HAVE LAKES. A LOT OF SWIMMING POOLS. PEOPLE ARE EXPOSED TO WATER A LOT MORE DURING MAY THROUGH AUGUST. SO WE CALL THAT THE THE DROWN. THE HIGHEST DROWNING MONTHS OF THE YEAR FOR SURE. WHAT’S YOUR MESSAGE FOR FAMILIES? I MEAN, IT CAN HAPPEN IN A SPLIT SECOND. WELL, IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY DO NOT GET TO A POOL UNLESS THEY’RE SUPERVISED AND ATTENTIVE. SUPERVISION, LIKE AT ARM’S LENGTH AT ALL TIME. YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY GET INTO SWIM LESSONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AND IF YOU CAN’T GET THEM TO SWIM LESSONS, AT LEAST IF YOU’RE A SWIMMER, GET THEM IN THE WATER AND SHOW THEM HOW TO FLOAT ON THEIR BACK. LITERALLY, A KID THAT’S COMFORTABLE FLOATING ON THEIR BACK BEFORE THEY LEARN HOW TO SWIM ARE FAR LESS LIKELY TO DROWN. BUT KID 1 TO 4 YEAR OLDS, IT’S THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR 1 TO 4 YEAR OLDS. SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR 5 TO 14 YEAR OLDS. AND IT’S THE THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR TEENAGERS AND YOUTH. 15 TO 24. DROWNING IS A BIG THING, BUT IT’S ALL PREVENTABLE. IF YOU HAVE YOUNG KIDS, KEEP THEM RIGHT AT ARM’S LENGTH, EVEN WHEN THEY HAVE SOME SWIM SKILLS, WHEN THEY’RE LITTLE, WHEN THEY GET OLDER, MAKE SURE THAT THEY’RE BEING SUPERVISED ATTENTIVELY AT THE POOL BECAUSE YOUNG KIDS DROWN AT POOLS, TEENAGERS AND YOUTHS. THEY DROWN IN LAKES AND RIVERS, FOR SURE. YEAH, SO IT’S THE ATTENTION. YEAH. AND WHAT CAN PARENTS DO? SOME PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS, IF THEY DON’T KNOW HOW TO SWIM, HOW CAN THEY BE SAFE? AND IS CAN THEY STILL LEARN TO SWIM? WELL, ONE IS THEY SHOULD LEARN HOW TO SWIM. I KNOW IT’S A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY, OH, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVEN’T LEARNED HOW TO SWIM. THEY’RE ADULTS. FIND THERE ARE SWIMMING LESSONS AROUND AT ALL KINDS OF PLACES. YMCA IS PARK AND REC, PRIVATE SWIMMING SCHOOLS, EVEN SOME CLASSES ARE BEING DONE AT APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND STUFF LIKE THAT. BUT LEARN HOW TO SWIM THEMSELVES, OR AT LEAST GET ACCLIMATED SO THEY’RE COMFORTABLE IN THE WATER. BECAUSE IF THEY’RE TAKING CARE OF A GRANDCHILD, THEY WANT TO BE LIKE, ATTENTIVE RIGHT THERE. AND IF THE KID IS A LITTLE OLDER AND THEY’RE DROWNING, YOU DON’T WANT TO GET IN WITH THEM UNLESS YOU’RE A GOOD SWIMMER, A DROWNING PERSON CAN OVERWHELM A GOOD SWIMMER VERY QUICKLY. SO YOU WANT TO USE A SHEPHERD HOOK OR SOMETHING TO GET THEM TO THE EDGE AND THEN GET THEM OUT. AND IF THEY DON’T HAVE A PULSE AND THEY THEY’RE NOT BREATHING, YOU HAVE YOU SHOULD LEARN CPR. EVERYBODY CAN LEARN CPR AND THEY SHOULD FOR, YOU KNOW, ALL KINDS OF REASONS. BUT CPR CAN REVIVE A DROWNING VICTIM VERY QUICKLY. ABSOLUTELY. AND FLOATING DEVICES, PARENTS MIGHT SAY, I’M GOING TO GO GRAB A CUP OF WATER, COME BACK. PROBABLY NOT A GOOD IDEA. NO, YOU DON’T WANT TO TURN YOUR BACK. ON. A CHILD CAN DROWN WITHIN A MINUTE. IT’S ONCE THEY GET UNDERWATER, THERE’S NO SPLASHING. THERE’S NO NOISE. THEY’RE JUST UNDERWATER. AND SO, YEAH, IF YOU WALK AWAY, THAT’S. THAT’S WHERE A LOT OF THE YOUNG CHILDREN DIE. EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND, PEOPLE ARE NOT WATCHING EVERY CHILD. BUT YOU NEED SOMEBODY ALWAYS TO BE WATCHING. OKAY, KEEP THOSE EYES ON THOSE KIDS AND BE SAFE. THIS MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND AND ALWAYS, STEVE FARRELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOU

May is Drowning Prevention Month. What to know about pool safety

Updated: 12:50 PM PDT May 26, 2025

As more people head to area waterways and pools, experts want families to become more educated about water safety. May is Drowning Prevention Month. An average of 689 children under 15 dies by drowning each year in the U.S. Nearly half of all drowning deaths occur in June, July, and August. More than 12,588 Californians died from drowning between 1991 and 2020. Officials say that for every death, there are three non-fatal incidents. Those most at risk are under the age of 4. It’s the leading cause of death nationally for kids 1 to 4 years old.Pool safety expert Steve Barrow is the state program director of the California Coalition for Children’s Safety and Health. He said African American and Hispanic/Latino children are less likely to be taught to swim because of a lack of access to swim lessons. Families are encouraged to look for low-cost options and enroll children in certified swim lessons as early as possible.Parents should also ensure home pools have secure fencing, self-latching gates, and anti-entrapment drain covers.You can learn more at Publicpoolsafety.com.

As more people head to area waterways and pools, experts want families to become more educated about water safety.

May is Drowning Prevention Month. An average of 689 children under 15 dies by drowning each year in the U.S. Nearly half of all drowning deaths occur in June, July, and August.

More than 12,588 Californians died from drowning between 1991 and 2020. Officials say that for every death, there are three non-fatal incidents.

Those most at risk are under the age of 4. It’s the leading cause of death nationally for kids 1 to 4 years old.

Pool safety expert Steve Barrow is the state program director of the California Coalition for Children’s Safety and Health.

He said African American and Hispanic/Latino children are less likely to be taught to swim because of a lack of access to swim lessons.

Families are encouraged to look for low-cost options and enroll children in certified swim lessons as early as possible.

Parents should also ensure home pools have secure fencing, self-latching gates, and anti-entrapment drain covers.

You can learn more at Publicpoolsafety.com.