Pool Safety

A swimming pool is the centerpiece of any backyard resort. Don't let it become a hazard. Pools are cited in up to 90 percent of all drownings involving kids under 4. Most kids who have drown in backyard pools were with one or both parents less than 5 minutes before the accident.

Here are some tips:

• Fence in your pool and lock the entrance so kids can't get in without you. The pool's fence should be 5 feet high and it should isolate the pool from the rest of the yard and from the house. A fence reduces the risk of drowning by 60 percent.
• Remove toys from inside and around the pool after use so they don't lure kids poolside.
• Drain portable wading pools immediately after use.
• Keep a telephone near the pool at all times with "911" clearly visible.

If you see someone drowning:

• Call 911 immediately and alert another person.
• Depending upon how close the person is, throw a floatable object to them, or extend a rope or a pole to them and pull them to safety.
• If you are a good swimmer and the above option did not work, enter the water, and bring a floatation device strong enough to support you both. Position the device so that it stays between you as you float to safety.

More Water Safety:

• Beach safety
• Water safety tips