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In This Issue:
Q. What should you do if you see someone drowning in a pool? Throw the person anything that will float, ideally a life ring with a line attached or a long object that you can extend to the person. Unless you are trained in water rescue, don't jump in to rescue the panicking person, who may grab you and pull you down. If the person is unconscious and you can swim, you should go in to get that person out of the water. Call 911 to summon professional help.
Q. Is drowning common? Between 1992 and 1999, an average of 823 people per year drowned at home in the U.S. These are by and large preventable incidents.
Q. What is the best way to prevent pool-related emergencies, including drowning? The most obvious is learn how to swim. Children and adults benefit from taking swimming lessons from a knowledgeable instructor. In addition to the basic strokes, instructors often teach methods for simply staying afloat in an emergency. However, keeping a pool safe requires many layers of safety.
Q. Is it ever safe to swim alone? While many people do swim alone, it always carries a higher risk than swimming with another person present. People with medical conditions, especially cardiac conditions or seizure disorders, should never swim alone.
Q. What are some ways to be proactive about pool safety? Adults and adolescents should learn CPR and water rescue. Never allow children to use a pool unsupervised. Keep close by a life buoy, rescue pole and a telephone, so you can call for help in an emergency. A fence with self-closing and latching gates should completely enclose the pool; this is often required by local building codes.
The Home Safety Council has a web site with tips and checklists for water safety, available at www.homesafetycouncil.org/index.aspx