Another 2,600 are treated in emergency rooms for near-drowning incidents. Consider these suggestions to help ensure safe summertime fun. Whether you're at the lake, in your backyard pool, or at the neighborhood pool, young children need constant supervision. Don't rely on the watchful eye of the lifeguard, either. In a crowded pool of splashing, boisterous children, it's difficult for a lifeguard to monitor each child.
Children can drown in a matter of minutes.
Also, enforce rules about horseplay and never use floatation devices as a substitute for supervision. If you own a pool, there are safety devices you can use to help protect your family. A fence should be your first line of defense. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most children who drown in pools wander out of the house and fall into the pool. A motorized pool cover may also be used, but should not replace a fence.