Last week Ciara and I had the privilege of attending a talk held by our friend Brendan Haggerty from Pillar to Post (great home inspection company, btw).
We were there to hear a presentation given by Cassie McGovern about pool safety. Now the fact that Cassie was the one to present on this subject added a lot of weight.
Her and her husband went through a very trying time. To hear her story see this video below:
Where most of us would not be able to discuss the subject, Cassie took this as an opportunity to educate and inform everyone willing to listen about pool safety. Her mission: That no one has to experience what she has.
Prevention Is Key
Swim season? We live in South Florida people! IT’S ALWAYS SWIM SEASON!
So we need to be vigilant at all times if we have a pool in our backyard. Here’s a few tips we picked up from the meeting.
- Don’t Use Floaties. They create a false sense of security to the child. They might think they just float in water and might jump in when they’re not wearing them. If a child is old enough to walk up to a pool, they’re old enough to learn how to swim. If your child is between 6 months and four years go here for your swim coupon.
- People Don’t Splash and Flail. That stuff you see in movies and TV simply isn’t true. Kids and adults panic and start trying to take breaths while underwater. This just causes them to fill up with more water and weighs them down even further. Vigilance is absolutely necessary.
- Drowning is Quick! In can occur in as little as 2 minutes. Irreversible brain damage starts at 4 mins. Most children who drown are out of sight for less than 5 minutes and usually in the presence of parents. Those who do die have been submerged for only 6-10 minutes. Take it from me who worked as an EMT, the brain CANNOT survive long without oxygen.
- Drowning Isn’t Just Water In The Lungs. Ever heard of dry drowning? Many things fall under this term but the one that stands out when it comes to pools is this, “Hey! Let’s go down and see how long we can hold our breath!” This lack of oxygen (apnea) can trigger a laryngospasm. This is just one way dry drowning works. For more info on it and a sister term “Secondary Drowning” read here.
- Adults: Learn How To Swim! There’s no excuse for you anymore. Here, your swim coupon for lessons.You have to learn. Why? In Broward County alone there are over 128,000 pools. We have 23 miles of the Atlantic coast, 163 miles of intracoastal waterways, countless ponds, lakes, above ground pools and yes, buckets. Remember a child only needs two inches of water to drown. And if a child falls head first into a bucket, their top heavy frame could prevent them from getting out.
Protect Your Children
So please pay attention to the kids when they’re out at the pool, or near the pool, or inside a house with a pool.
Cassie showed us a simple tool you can use to ensure their safety.
These have the benefit that you can change the sound setting from chime, alarm, or off. Now you might think you’re home alarm system is enough but, don’t we tune that out eventually?
This will sound loud and strange enough that it will alert you of any movement you weren’t expecting at the patio doors.
Another good tip was this:
Assigning this responsibility directly will make sure that a responsible person is aware and alert of the happenings in the pool. Just take turns with it. Everyone deserves to kick back at the pool.
We hope you benefit from this message and if you have any questions regarding pool safety Cassie is more than welcome to answer them.
From CWI to you, be careful this summer and have fun!
