In Southern California, drowning prevention and water safety should be practiced on a year-round basis with special emphasis during the summer months.
Drowning Prevention for Kids:
- Always keep children within arm’s reach
- Remove items that a child could climb on to get over a fence and into a pool area
- Designate a water watcher; someone who is free of distraction and can focus on those in the water
- Install and maintain proper barriers around the pool and spa areas such as fences, gates, doors, alarms and safety covers
- If a child goes missing, ALWAYS check the water first
Drowning Prevention for Adults:
- Never swim alone
- Learn to swim
- Learn CPR
- Wear a life vest if you are not a strong swimmer
Did you know?
- In 2019, Orange County had a total of 114 drowning incidents. There were 33 incidents involving children between 0-4 years old and 33 incidents involving adults over 50.
- Children can drown in less than 2 inches of water.
- Most drowning incidents for adults are a result of a medical condition or intoxication.
- Less than 1/3 of adults can swim the length of a pool which is why you should always swim with a buddy.
- In 2019, most drownings occurred at the beach or the bay.
- Once under water, an infant loses consciousness in 30 seconds or less, a child within 2 minutes.
To view videos on water safety, visit https://ocfa.org/preventdrowning.
This article was released by the Orange County Fire Authority.