{"id":20135,"date":"2022-06-23T22:00:36","date_gmt":"2022-06-23T22:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=20135"},"modified":"2026-04-23T23:48:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T23:48:16","slug":"tips-to-keep-your-family-safe-near-the-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/tips-to-keep-your-family-safe-near-the-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips to keep your family safe near the water","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

With the long-awaited arrival of summer, many families are planning camping trips, lake days or other outdoor adventures to enjoy the sun.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Center for Childhood Safety<\/a> at MultiCare Mary Bridge Children\u2019s Hospital encourages parents to plan adequately for water play by packing \u2014 and wearing \u2014 life jackets.<\/p>\n

Drowning is a leading cause of preventable deaths for children. Even if your child takes swimming lessons or the water looks shallow, it\u2019s important to remember that children can drown in as little as one inch of water, and drowning accidents happen quickly and quietly.<\/p>\n

Many drownings occur in open water like lakes, rivers and beaches, and also while boating. In Washington state, bodies of water are often fed by glaciers and stay extremely cold year-round, even when the air temperature is hot. Water temperatures under 70 degrees can cause hypothermia, and our waters are closer to 55 degrees \u2014 adding an additional risk for even the strongest swimmers.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, anyone can drown,\u201d says Erin Summa, MPH, health promotion manager for Mary Bridge Children’s Center for Childhood Safety. \u201cTeens often overestimate their swimming skills and underestimate the effects of cold water, so they\u2019re the ones I\u2019m particularly worried about. Hypothermia causes our bodies to pull heat away from our arms and legs to protect vital organs, so if extremities freeze up, swimming skills can\u2019t save you.\u201d<\/p>\n

You can keep your family safe by providing close adult supervision and ensuring all children wear well-fitting life jackets every time they are near or in the water.<\/p>\n

Here are some tips for practicing\u00a0water safety<\/a>\u00a0with kids:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Choose the right life jacket<\/strong>. Wear a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) approved life jacket rated for your child\u2019s weight and activity. For infants and toddlers, look for life jackets that have a floatation collar and strap that goes between the legs. Note that standard life jacket sizing means children will need to size up when they hit 30, 50 and 90 pounds.<\/li>\n
  2. Check the fit of the life jacket<\/strong>. Fasten all zippers, straps, buckles and ties. The life jacket should fit snugly on your child, and if you pull up from the shoulders, your child\u2019s ears and chin shouldn\u2019t slip through.<\/li>\n
  3. Wear a life jacket every time<\/strong>. Life jackets can save lives, but only when they\u2019re worn properly and consistently.<\/li>\n
  4. Designate a \u201cwater watcher<\/strong>.\u201d<\/strong> It’s important to designate a responsible adult who will keep a watchful eye on your child near and in the water. It\u2019s also helpful if this adult knows CPR.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Editor’s note: This post was originally published in May 2021 and updated in June 2022.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    With the long-awaited arrival of summer, many families are planning camping trips, lake days or other outdoor adventures to enjoy the sun. The\u00a0Center for Childhood Safety at MultiCare Mary Bridge Children\u2019s Hospital encourages parents to plan adequately for water play by packing \u2014 and wearing \u2014 life jackets. Drowning is a leading cause of preventable […]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":99,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[127,67],"tags":[170],"class_list":["post-20135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-healthy-living","category-kids-health","tag-summer-safety"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTips to keep your family safe near the water - MultiCare Vitals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With the long-awaited arrival of summer, many families are planning camping trips, lake days or other outdoor adventures to enjoy the sun.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/tips-to-keep-your-family-safe-near-the-water\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tips to keep your family safe near the water - 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