Everything You Need To Know About Keeping Your Child Safe From Drowning

By Author: Josh Campbell
Total Articles: 8
Comment this article

The heat of summer is upon us, and with it comes a return to our favorite swimming holes. Whether that is the pool, lake, or ocean, special caution must be used whenever there are children or other inexperienced swimmers around the water. It takes very little time, and just a small amount of standing water, for a child to suffer serious personal injury or death by drowning. Here are a few important safety tips to enhance a child’s safety when swimming:

- In just 10 seconds, the amount of time it might take to cross the pool deck for a towel, a child can be submerged.

- In just 2 minutes, the amount of time it takes to answer the phone, a child can lose consciousness.

- In 4 to 6 minutes, the time it takes to answer the door, a child can sustain permanent brain damage.

Children can drown quietly and quickly. When a child drowns, it is most often because the adults are distracted talking on the phone, to other adults, or engaged in some other task. The most important thing to remember this swim season is never to leave a child alone near any standing water, whether a pool, hot tub, bathtub, or even ...
... toilet. A child can drown in less than one inch of standing water.

The YMCA has provided an outline of some important precautionary steps to follow to help ensure child safety around the water this summer. First, create buffer zones of protection between the water and your children–a proper fence and gate around the pool, sturdy pool coverings, and even child proof locks and alarms on the doors and windows that lead to the pool. Make sure to have rescue equipment mounted near the water.

Second, proper supervision is essential. Always be within arm’s reach of a child who is not an experienced swimmer. Third, When there are several adults present and children are swimming, make sure that an adult is always “on-duty” with the responsibility to watch the children. This will help to ensure proper supervision at all times.

Finally, make sure that your children learn to swim. Knowing the simple safety trick of floating on your back if you get tired can be enough to save a life while awaiting rescue.

In addition to the above, it is equally important to know that children also can suffer personal injury in and around the pool or swimming area due to the negligence of another person or defective products. For example, if there is a pool cover which is advertised to be able to take the weight of a child, but a child falls through, then the manufacturer may be liable for injuries caused.

Another situation may be where a community swimming pool has a gate, but the latch on the gate is broken, and the community manager knows about it but hasn’t fixed it. If a child enters through the gate and gets hurt, the management may be liable for the child’s injury.

If there is any doubt as to who is responsible for the injuries a child has suffered, it is a good idea to contact a board-certified Houston personal injury attorney to help you figure it out.

So how does one go about finding a board certified Houston personal injury attorney? One way is to visit http://www.tbls.org/Directory/Attorney.aspx. The website will give you a list of the attorneys in your area who are board-certified. You are also welcome to call the Neese Law Firm at 713.355.1200 or 888.99.NEESE, and if they cannot help you with your particular legal issue, they will do their best to point you in the right direction and get you to a Houston personal injury attorney who can help you.

Josh Campbell. Houston Personal Injury Attorney - In Houston, a trustworthy personal injury attorney can be hard to find. The Neese Law Firm combines the expertise and compassion needed to represent your rights.