Water safety: Keeping you and your family safe from drowning

Avoiding wearing blue bathing suits is just one step for safety

With the temperatures heating up, it will soon be time to hit the pool. Are you and your family ready to have a safe swimming season this summer?

Now is the perfect time to review pool-safety practices, say Banner Health safety experts, who are available for interviews.

“Everyone thinks it can’t happen to me. Drowning can happen to anyone. It doesn’t matter where you live or what you do,’’ said Melissa Luxton, RN, Banner Health injury prevention coordinator.

According to the latest numbers available, 44 Arizonans died from drowning in 2021, double the amount from the year before.

The report, led by the Arizona Child Fatality Review team, found that drowning was the most common cause of death for children between the ages of 1 and 4.

One of the most recent safety precautions is to avoid having children wear blue bathing suits because wearing that color suit makes it harder to detect them in water.

“It’s a good start but there are many layers of protection that you can provide your family with when it comes to water safety.

Luxton advises people to think of the ABCs of drowning prevention:

• Adult supervision: Always have eyes on kids and be close enough to touch them. In big family gatherings, designate an adult to be a lifeguard to constantly watch the kids. Also, more adults drown than kids, so adults should have a swim buddy.
• Barriers between children and water. Make sure there is a five-foot fence around the pool and that the pool gate latches by itself. Don’t forget that kids can crawl through doggie doors so block the doors’ access to pools.
• Classes in CPR for adults and swim lessons for kids are essential. Drowning victims have a much higher rate of survival if CPR is administered immediately.
• Coast-guard approved. “Floaties’’ or “water-wings’’ can pose a danger to children. Use only items that have labels indicating they are approved by the U.S. Coast Guard.
  

About Banner Health

Banner Health is one of the largest, secular nonprofit health care systems in the country. In addition to 30 acute-care hospitals, Banner also operates an academic medicine division, Banner – University Medicine, and Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, a partnership with one of the world’s leading cancer programs, MD Anderson Cancer Center. Banner’s array of services includes a health insurance division, employed physician groups, outpatient surgery centers, urgent care locations, home care and hospice services, retail pharmacies, stand-alone imaging centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation, behavioral health services, a research division and a nursing registry. To make health care easier, 100% of Banner-employed doctors are available for virtual visits, and Banner operates a free 24/7 nurse line for health questions or concerns. Patients may also reserve spots at Banner Urgent Care locations and can book appointments online with many Banner-employed doctors. Headquartered in Arizona, Banner Health also has locations in California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. For more information, visit bannerhealth.com.