Fishing Frenzy

Without safety precautions children will be prone to accident around pools, in the pool and beaches. Children whose ages are less than four years old can even drown inside their own homes as they can drown in as low as 4 cm or 1.5 inches of water. There is no proof that shows that children, who are less than four years of age, would significantly benefit from swimming lessons. It is just too early for them to be swimming alone. Although swimming lessons will not exactly save children from drowning, at least these lessons can help improve children's behavior around pools or beaches. An alternative for helping children, who are less than 4 years old, is to enroll them in programs that will help orient them about safety in and around pools or beaches.

PFDs (Personal Floating Devices) and life jackets are effective in preventing drowning in young children if they are used correctly. Make sure that the PFD or life jacket you are using for the toddlers is a fits perfectly. Remember, in Canada, there is no available safety standard for PFDs and life jackets for children who are less than 20 kg (20 lbs) in weight. Although PFDs and life jackets have the same purpose, that is to save one from drowning, they are slightly different in appearance. You will notice that PFDs have head support cushion. Its purpose is to prevent the face of an unconscious person from submerging into the water and preventing him or her from breathing. It is also safe to assist children even though they are using flotation devices. Most of the time, they end up leaving the flotation device and find themselves in the water with nothing to hold on to. An effective precaution is to ensure that young children already have their PFDs on, even though they are still on the boat. This way, it would be easier to prevent an accident, such as drowning if ever the child accidentally gets thrown overboard.

One way of preventing drowning in young children is by means of using Personal flotation (PFDs) devices and life jackets. To be sure that you know how to use these and know how to get the right PFDs and life jackets for your children, please try to follow these reminders.

Be sure the PFDs of life jackets meet current national safety standards. Do not use PFDs or life jackets on infants weighing less than 20 lbs. know the difference between a PFD and a life jacket. Life jackets keep the face and head out of the water. Children wearing PFDs and lifejackets should be thoroughly supervised even when not in the water. Children should wear PFDs when the child is riding a boat. It is better if the PFD is worn ahead of time, rather than trying to put it on the child when something is already about to happen. Children should never be left alone when near or in the water. An adult should always check and watch the child. When dealing with infants and toddlers who are very near the water, an adult should always be within reach and ready to grab them at any moment. Infant bath rings and bath seats should not be allowed since in some cases, they caused injuries and accidents. Infants and toddlers who cannot sit without support should be held at all times. Do not let go, not even for a second. One responsible adult should watch and supervise one infant or toddler. This can ensure safety for the young kid. For children below three years old, there must be one adult watching two of them. Teens should never be allowed to watch children, except in the presence of a supervising adult. All infants weighing more than kg (20 lbs) should wear PFDs. This is also true for all toddlers playing near or in the water.

Pool owners should learn how to swim and know how to rescue drowning victims. Knowledge in CPR is a plus. There is no doubt about it . It is certainly time and energies well spent even if only saves one brief avoidable accident at the beach , lake , cottage or hotel pool while on summer vacation. It may seem mundane or a waste of time yet if it saves the life of your child or that of a neighbor or relative it's a godsend. On top of that ensure that in the boat or even fishing offshore that all including the adult drivers and operators of the board wear a personal flotation device approved by the DOT for their weight, height and ages.