River Safety
Today is river safety. Drowning is the second biggest cause of unintended deaths in children. In the U.S. alone, at least 900 children drown each year in open water such as lakes or rivers. One of the ways we can combat this is by teaching our children "drown-proofing." Essentially, it's teaching your child how to breathe and move when they get caught in the water. Check out the link below for more info about that!
Wear protective shoes and clothes to avoid injury.
If floating with your family, make sure someone in your group has an oared craft in case a rescue is needed.
Teach your child “drown-proofing.” (Check out the attached link!)
Teach your child what to do if caught in a current: Keep her feet up and swim DIAGONALLY to the shore, letting the force of the current help push them toward the direction she wants to go.
Teach your child what to do if he falls in: Do not try to stand up. The force of the water will only push him over and hold him under. Most drownings result from getting a leg or ankle caught in an underwater rock ledge, between boulders, or snagged on a limb. Tell your children to lay on their backs, feet pointing downstream, and toes pointing up toward the surface.
Take a good look at the area you are swimming in. Look for rocks, trees, snakes, or other debris that might pose a threat to your child when swimming. Make sure the bank is easy to get to.