Summer Safety Alert: Red Cross Urges Caution Around Water

As schools let out and temperatures push into the 90s and beyond, the hearts of the young turn to one thing -- no, not love ... swimming.

There's no better way to chill in the summertime than jumping in the pool or lake and cooling off, even when it's 100-degrees outside.

The Red Cross, which has been saving lives for more than a century now, is begging parents to practice a little precaution this year when heading to the pool. Drownings, sadly, are all too common in warm weather (in the last three years, more than 7,000 people have drowned in the United States).

Here are a few tips:

1. Nobody should ever swim alone – adults and teens as well as children. Never leave a young child unattended near water, and do not trust a child’s life to another child.
2. It’s best to always designate a “water watcher” who will keep a close eye and constant attention on children and weaker swimmers in, on and around water until the next water watcher takes over.
3. Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone.
4. Reach or throw, don't go! In the event of an emergency, reach or throw an object to the person in trouble and tell them to grab on. Don’t go in! You could be in danger of drowning yourself.

The Red Cross also offers this interactive map to help you find certified swim lesson instructors near you.

The number of drowning deaths has increased by about 10% in the past few years, with young children and older adults of all races and ethnicities, and black people of all ages seeing the greatest increases.

Red Cross wants us all to be water smart.

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