Swimmers try to stay cool in near 100 degree temperatures at Red Oaks Waterpark in Madison Heights, Mich., June 28, 2012.
Palm Beach County Ocean Rescue lifeguard Daniel Barnickel said there always should be an adult monitoring the water.Taking the time to go over safety procedures and rules before heading to the pool or beach can benefit children and their parents.The most important safety feature of a backyard swimming pool is a barrier, such as a safety fence, to prevent unsupervised access to the water.
They should also be able to quickly turn around in the water and find a safe place, combine breathing with moving forward in the water and get out of the water.If several adults are at the pool, beach or lake with a group of children, choose a water watcher who can have eyes on the children at all times. It's a great idea to rotate the water watcher among the adults for brief amounts of time, such as 15-minute intervals, experts at Safe Kids Worldwide recommend.
Since 2014, all public pools and spas in the U.S. have been required to comply with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act, which was named after a 7-year-old girl who died after being caught by the strong suction of a hot tub drain in 2002. Her mother lobbied Congress to require drain covers and other pool safety features.