HARRISBURG – With summer underway, the American Red Cross of Greater PA is urging families to prioritize water safety and swim lessons to help everyone stay safe around the water. Participation in formal water safety and swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning. Each year, over 2.5 million people learn to swim through Red Cross lifesaving aquatics programs. According to the Centers for Disease Control, drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 and the second leading cause of unintentional injury and death for children ages 5 -14. Safety tips include: Never leave children unattended near water. Designate an adult “water watcher” who will pay constant attention on children and weaker swimmers in, on, and around water. Make sure young children or inexperienced swimmers wear properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets. In the event of an emergency, reach or throw an object to the person in trouble and tell them to grab on. Don’t go in as you could be in danger of drowning yourself. Persons can go to redcross.org/watersafety for swim program information and a variety of water safety resources.
