St. Joseph doctor shares importance of water safety to prevent drownings
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Thousands of people die due to drownings every year, according to the CDC, and a local doctor has some tips to prevent a scary reality.
“Making sure that there is at least one person keeping an eye on every child,” Dr. Jeffrey Lee with St. Joseph Health advised. “If we assume, that’s not good enough, we have to make sure that there is a designated person.”
Dr. Lee told KBTX it’s a good idea to make sure children are never more than an arm’s reach away. If you have a pool in your backyard, Dr. Lee recommends having a fence around the area so that no one falls in on accident when there aren’t others around to help.
“Taking swim lessons are also very helpful,” said Dr. Lee. “The current recommendation is one year and up.”
Swim lessons can help protect people of all ages, as adults also fall victim to drowning. For children four years old and younger, it’s the leading cause of death.
“Even if we’re filling up the tub and we think that the water is not tall or high enough that we won’t worry about, but babies do a lot of weird maneuvers, and they may end up with their face down,” Dr. Lee warned.
The CDC has helpful advice on water safety, including if you know you or your child are not strong swimmers, life jackets are recommended at pools, lakes, beaches and other bodies of water. In addition, it is advised to avoid alcohol or drug consumption when around bodies of water.
