SALEM — Although summer has just begun, multiple Essex County residents have reported fatal or near-fatal situations involving kids in pools in recent weeks. Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker today reminds residents of all ages not to swim alone and shares some tips for families to have a safe and happy time with water-based activities this summer.
Parents of very young children can help ensure their safety by installing fencing or barriers that disallow access to a pool when parents are not present to supervise, Tucker says. Parents of older kids should discuss the importance of staying out of the water when a responsible adult overseer is not present. Be it at the beach or a pool, Tucker also cautions parents about the dangers of diffusion of water-safety responsibility, as there can be a tendency in larger groups and gatherings to assume that someone else will see an issue or raise an alarm if there is a problem. Swimmers of all ages can help prevent unexpected issues by keeping a flotation device on hand while in the water.
“When it’s everybody’s job to monitor kids in the pool, unfortunately it can become ‘nobody’s job,’” Tucker said. “So one of the most impactful water-safety practices parents can implement is making sure that, at any given time, a single, responsible, and focused water-safety monitor is assigned.”
Water-safety monitors should be familiar with the signs of drowning, which often do not match the splashing and screaming depictions of drowning in movies and TV.
Several Massachusetts State Police troopers and Dive Team members recently joined Tucker and Lisa Nerich from Lynn’s Department of Parks and Recreation in sharing safe-swimming tips at a Learn to Swim program with children and their families at Lynn Vocational and Technical High School.
“If a swimmer is quiet or in distress, ask if they are okay,” Tucker advises. “If they cannot verbally respond with an affirmation that they are doing well, take immediate action and assume it is a drowning risk unless or until proven otherwise.”
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