Joe Ulery, producer/reporter, Indiana News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.
As Memorial Day kicks off summer across the country, Americans will flock to lakes, rivers, and pools, and safety should be on everyone’s mind.
William Ramos, associate professor in the School of Public Health at Indiana University in Bloomington, said water safety depends on layers of protection, including attentive supervision, knowing CPR, using life jackets — not inflatables — and securing barriers like fences or locked doors around home pools.
Ramos encouraged families to assign one person to watch the water.
“One that we like to mention is designating a ‘water-watcher,'” Ramos recommended. “This is a person almost to the level of a lifeguard who has no other duty than to watch the water and has the skills and knowledge to act if necessary.”
He pointed out that the highest risk for unintentional drowning is among children between the ages of one and four, teen boys, and adults. He added that safety around home pools should be treated as seriously as public water parks by planning, staying alert, and making sure everyone leaves the area together.
Ramos noted alcohol is another major safety concern, especially on boats and at parties near water. He warned drinking can impair judgment and reaction time, increasing the risk of drowning.
“It’s an interesting situation in the United States, somewhere in our history, we’ve tied alcohol use and boating together, and it’s actually farthest from the truth,” Ramos cautioned. “They really don’t go together at all, so make sure you have somebody who isn’t engaging, especially the person who might be driving or operating the vehicle.”
He urged boaters to assign a sober driver and keep alcohol away from anyone expected to supervise swimmers or operate watercraft.
