Preventing Childhood Drowning

According to the CDC, every day in America approximately ten people drown, two of which are children under the age of 14*. What's worse: unintentional drowning is the leading cause of death for children under the age of five. To prevent childhood drowning, Foss Swim School offers tips to help parents protect their children around water; whether it's at a pool, at a lake or in a bathtub.

"Drowning is silent and swift. A child looks up and loses air, they can't call for help, and they can't float," says Jon Foss, founder of Foss Swim School. "It's essential that parents and caregivers understand the importance of staying close and paying attention to a child that can't swim."

DID YOU KNOW?

• Last year 500 kids under the age of five drowned in the United States.

• 70% of preschoolers who drowned did so in front of one or more parent and most of them were missing for less than five minutes.

• For every child that drowns, five more are taken to the hospital and half of those end up with permanent injuries (including brain damage).

• Your child is more likely to drown than be hit by a car, according to the CDC.

REMEMBER F.O.C.U.S. AND YOU MAY SAVE A CHILD'S LIFE

Here are some easy tips to remember:

• Remember to F.O.C.U.S. - Focus On Caring for Under-skilled Swimmers.

• Don't teach a child to drown by removing their fear of water by regularly catching them before they go under water or by continually putting floats on them.

• Stay close. Keep non-swimmers within arms' reach. Remember, D.I.S. Drowning is silent.

• Put the phones down. Drowning takes seconds (not minutes) and often occurs with parents present.

• Make sure children have swim lessons starting at a young age. Replace their fear of water with swimming skill, not floats. Learning to swim is a skill for life.

"The era of underskilled/under paid instructor is over," according to Foss. "Find a professional school like Foss Swim School, which has taught 14 million swim lessons and believes every child can learn to swim well."

FREE WATER SAFETY EVENTS

Foss Swim Schools will host free water safety events on Saturday, May 20, at all its locations. The events are open to the public. For more information, visit: https://www.fossswimschool.com/water-safety/. Come have fun and learn water safety with Foss.

ABOUT FOSS SWIM SCHOOL

Foss Swim School provides the world's best swimming program for every child. Family-owned since 1993, we have 400 active professional swim instructors and have taught more than 14 million lessons. We guarantee your child can swim and will improve with each session. Our motto is laughter, learning, confidence, then mastery. Find a location near you in the Twin Cities or Chicago by visiting: fossswimschool.com or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Discover what's FOSSIBLE®.

* CDC Water Injuries fact sheet (2016)