When the summer heat arrives and children are released from school, the main desire of most is to head out for a fun and relaxing day by the water. Most people don’t give a second thought to water safety - but they should.

Drowning is the second leading cause of death among children under age 14 and the leading cause among children age one to four years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2005 alone, the CDC reports that there were 3,582 deaths related to unintentional drowning.

Safe Kids East Central led by the MCGHealth Children’s Medical Center recommends the following tips to help kids stay safe in the water this summer.

• Adult supervision required. Anytime children are in or around water, have a designated adult or mature "water watcher" who is responsible for supervising the children. Adults should not read or do any other activity that may distract them while supervising children in or around water. 
• Learn to swim. The best thing that anyone can do to stay safe when around water is to learn how to swim. You can teach your kids personally or enroll them in structured lessons. But knowing how to swim does not make your child "drown-proof." Also, never allow them to swim alone, but encourage them to always swim with a buddy. 
• Know the risks. Pay attention to local weather and stop swimming at the first sign of bad weather. At the beach, only swim in areas supervised by a lifeguard, be aware of water conditions and watch for posted warnings. At the pool, don’t allow your children to enter headfirst except when the area is clearly marked for diving. Children or inexperienced swimmers should wear life vests when in or around open water, such as lakes, rivers or the ocean. 
• Take safety precautions. Learn CPR for both children and adults so you’ll be prepared should an emergency situation arise. I also recommended that you install a 5-foot fence, a self-latching gate and pool alarms around your pool to keep kids from slipping in the pool area unnoticed as they could jump or fall in.
• Don't drink alcohol. Don’t mix alcoholic beverages with swimming, diving or boating. This can impair your judgment and reduce your ability to swim and dive. It can also severely affect your ability to administer help to your child or someone else during a water incident.

Tragic water accidents happen in an instant. But by following these simple, yet critical precautions you can prevent water tragedies and keep your family safe this summer.

MCG Health, Inc. (d/b/a MCGHealth) is a not-for-profit corporation operating the MCGHealth Medical Center, MCGHealth Children’s Medical Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center, and related outpatient facilities and services throughout the state. For more information, please visit mcghealth.org.