Summer Safety: Pool and Water Tips

Summer is here, as are days of swimming and pool parties. But unfortunately, the lazy days of summer can turn tragic in the event of a drowning.

“According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission an average of 200 children under the age of 15 are lost in drowning accidents each summer,” said a San Marino Police Department CLEARS message Tuesday.

The SMPD offers these tips for pool and water safety:

• Read and obey all rules and posted signs.
• Be aware of local weather conditions.
• Do not mix alcohol with swimming, diving and boating.
• Swim in areas where a lifeguard can see you.

Child-related water safety tips:

• Always supervise children near water no matter what their level of swimming skill.
• Enroll children in a water safety course or class that teaches them how to swim.
• Learn CPR.
• Always keep basic lifesaving equipment near the pool.
• Install a self-locking, self-closing fence with vertical bars around the pool.
• Enclose the pool and spa with a fence or barrier that is at least five feet high. Such fences should be constructed so that they cannot be easily climbed or have openings greater than four inches apart.
• Any access door from the home directly into the pool or spa area is required to have an alarm that can be heard throughout the house when the door is opened. 
• If you have a pool or spa cover, use it.

Have a safe summer!