Drowning is silent, and takes seconds

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged 1 to 4, and the
second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children 5 to 14.

The two facts that shape all the advice:

Drowning can happen in seconds and is often silent.

No splashing, no shouting. The mental image of a child in difficulty is wrong,
and it is why supervision that would be adequate for almost any other hazard
is not adequate for water.

And it can happen any time there is access to water — not only pools and
lakes but bathtubs and water-filled buckets.

Supervision means arm's length

**An adult should always be within an arm's length of a child in or near
water.**

**A supervising adult should avoid distracting activities — reading, using the
phone, alcohol or drugs — because drowning happens quickly and quietly.**

And: **children who have had swimming lessons still need close, constant
supervision, even when a lifeguard is present.** Lessons reduce risk; they do
not remove the need to watch.

Learn to swim, at any age

**Swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning, and over half of US adults
have never taken one.**

The recommendation is for adults as well as children: **it is never too late
to learn to swim, and the benefits increase as we age.**

The pool fence

**A home swimming pool needs a four-sided fence, at least four feet high,
fully enclosing the pool and separating it from the house**, with a
self-closing and self-latching gate.

Four-sided is the specification that matters. A three-sided fence using
the house as the fourth wall leaves the back door as the way in — which is how
most young children reach a pool unsupervised.

Remove toys that might attract a child when the pool is not in use.

What non-fatal drowning costs

**For every child under 18 who dies from drowning, another 7 receive emergency
department care for non-fatal drowning.** **Nearly 40% of those require a
hospital stay or transfer** — **three times the rate for other unintentional
injuries.**

Drowning injuries can cause brain damage and long-term disability. The
death toll is the visible part of a considerably larger number.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.