Every day, an average of 10 people die in the U.S. from unintentional drowning – and 1 in 5 of them are children 14 or younger, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children and fifth for people of all ages. In addition, for every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.
“We’re asking every family to make sure that both adults and children here in the Texas South Plains can swim and that parents make water safety a priority this summer,” said Laura Hann, Executive Director, American Red Cross serving the Texas South Plains.
Summer Water Activities Planned for Children and Teens in Areas Without Lifeguards
The Red Cross drowning prevention campaign is ramping up as summer gets underway, and more than a third (35 percent) of parents expect their children and teens to swim at a place this summer without a lifeguard.
While stronger swimming skills would reduce the risk of drowning, the Red Cross survey found that just one in five children (20 percent) are likely to take swimming lessons this summer. “Summer is the perfect time to enroll children in Red Cross swim lessons, the first step in practicing water safety,” Laura Hann said. “The Red Cross created the first national water safety program in the U.S”
Red Cross swimming lessons help people develop skills and water safety behaviors that help people be more comfortable and safe when they are in, on and around the water. The Red Cross encourages all household members to enroll in age-appropriate water orientation and Learn-to-Swim programs. To find classes for your family, contact your local aquatic facility.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
