Many people are looking to beat the heat by diving into a swimming pool, but a new report says pools are becoming more dangerous for children.
The report from the Consumer Product Safety Commission says an average of 363 kids younger than 15 died from drowning each year from 2014 to 2016. It also says there were 389 drowning deaths in 2016 involving kids younger than 15 compared to 348 in 2015.
The CPSC also states an average of 6,600 emergency room visits from pool or spa-related injuries per year from 2016 to 2018.
“[Drowning] occur very rapidly and they occur without warning,” said Dr. Neha Vyas from Cleveland Clinic.
The importance of water safety is in the spotlight after Country Singer Granger Smith’s three-year-old son River drowned in a backyard swimming pool on Thursday.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says one of the first steps to prevent an accidental drowning is swimming lessons.
The AAP is now recommending kids should start learning how to swim around age one, which is three years earlier than previously recommended. It can reduce the risk of drowning by 88 percent.
Dr. Nyas says it important to know swimming lessons can never take the place of adult supervision.
“It's very important to have your eyes on the pool and the body of water and not necessarily just your ears,” said Dr. Nyas.
The AAP says also to designate a “water watcher” who is not distracted or under the influence of drugs or alcohol to watch children in and near the water.
For more swim safety tips, you can visit the American Academy of Pediatrics website.