April Pools Days: Water Safety and Drowning Prevention
CINCINNATI -- As a result of the record-breaking number children who were seen last summer at Children's Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati for near-drowning-related injuries, the Cincinnati Safe Kids Coalition has developed "April Pools Days", a public awareness campaign focusing on the importance of adult supervision in the prevention of further drownings and near-drownings.
Drowning usually occurs quickly and silently. Children can drown in as little as an inch of water and are at risk of drowning in wading pools, bathtubs, buckets, diaper pails, toilets, spas and hot tubs as well as swimming pools, lakes, rivers and oceans.
Childhood drownings and near-drownings can happen in seconds and typically occur when a child is left unattended or during a brief lapse of supervision.
"All of the 30 near-drowning related injuries that Cincinnati Children's saw last summer could have been prevented. The Cincinnati Safe Kids Coalition, therefore, feels that it is imperative to start prevention early this year by reinforcing water safety through instruction in proper safety precautions in and around the water," said Victor Garcia, M.D., director of Trauma Services at Children's Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati and a member of the coalition.
Cincinnati Safe Kids Coalition members, area school nurses, Watson's Pool Accessories, the American Plastics Council and Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc. have partnered to develop water safety and drowning prevention lessons appropriate for children from kindergarten through third grade.
For additional information or to find out how to bring water safety to your community, please contact the Cincinnati Safe Kids Coalition (brej9o@chmcc.org), 513-636-8639.
Contact Information
Pam Komar (pkomar@chmcc.org), communications specialist, 513-636-4420
Anita Brentley (brej9o@chmcc.org), Cincinnati Safe Kids Coalition coordinator, 513-636-8639
