Local doctor shares how you can ensure your child’s safety in the water this summer

Shelby Hunter’s son is taking swimming lessons at the East Lake YMCA. She says these lessons prepare her children to get in the water safely.

“I wanted him to gain technique. I wanted him to know how,” Mother Shelby Hunter said.

Drowning is the No. 1 cause of death for children ages one through four, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The risks of drowning are going up for people of color.

A lack of swim lessons could play a factor in drownings.

Statistics show that 28% of Hispanic adults report having swim lessons compared to 37% of black adults and 52% of white adults.

Stouffer talked to Dr. Sarah Lazarus of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta about this guideline:

Keep beginner swimmers at arm’s reach, then later in eye’s reach, because drowning can happen in 30 seconds.

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Lazarus keyed in on the fact that drowning can happen quicker than you think.

“Sadly, every time I tried to resuscitate a child who has drowned, the thing we keep hearing is that it happens so quickly. and so many people were around,” Lazarus said. “It’s often at a party or at a pool with tons of people present. but no one directly has their eyes on that child.”

While it helps to swim somewhere with lifeguards, Lazarus says you should keep an eye on your child at all times, to keep them safe.

“I would just say that you are your child’s best lifeguard. No one is going to watch your child in the same way and with the same care and love that you do,” Lazarus said.

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