By Matt Baily, American Red Cross
Summer fun is on the horizon! Soon many of us will be enjoying water activities, like swimming, boating and paddle boarding. Water activities are fun, but it is important to remember that they can be dangerous. Today is International Water Safety Day, a day to remind us how important water safety is and to educate the youth in becoming safer in and around water.
The American Red Cross urges you to review our water safety tips and guidelines to ensure that you, family and friends have a fun, safe water experience this season.
- Swim in areas that are supervised by a lifeguard
- Do not swim alone; have a swim buddy
- Always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket appropriate for your weight and size and the water activity
- Watch kids when they are in or around water, without being distracted
- If you own a private pool, make sure that you have proper safety protocols in place so that children cannot fall into water unattended
- Stay hydrated even if you don’t feel thirsty as swimming is an exercise and will dehydrate you
- Don’t exceed your swimming ability. Know your limits and stick to them.
The American Red Cross provides more water safety tips and great resources on the American Red Cross Swim app. Here, you will find educational games and videos for kids, learn to help keep your loved ones safe in and around water, emergency response information and much more. You can download the app by texting “SWIM” to 90999 or search “Red Cross Swim” in the Apple App Store, Google Play or on the Amazon Marketplace.
