Water Safety Campaign 2007

Water Watcher Cards Help Parents Actively Supervise Young Swimmers

As pools open their doors around the country this Memorial Day, Safe Kids Worldwide is offering a tool to help parents keep kids safe in and around water this summer.

Drowning deaths among children ages 14 and under increase 89 percent in the summer over the average annual monthly rate, with 64 percent of all children’s drowning deaths occurring in the summer months.

Did you know that children can drown in as little as one inch of water?

Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death among children ages 1 to 14. Children can drown in a variety of circumstances – during water recreation (such as swimming and boating) or when a young child is left unsupervised for a short time in the bathtub or around the home with access to nearby pools and hot tubs.

A child can drown in as little as one inch of water, and drowning is usually quick and silent. A child will lose consciousness two minutes after submersion, with irreversible brain damage occurring within four to six minutes.

Parents and caregivers need to understand the dangers of drowning and know the proper steps to take to protect children.

More Information

Safe Kids Worldwide
1301 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Suite 1000
Washington, D.C. 20004

Phone: 202-662-0600
Fax: 202-393-2072
E-mail: info@safekids.org
Web site: www.usa.safekids.o rg