May is National Water Safety Month

By | May 3, 2022

FEDERAL HEIGHTS, Colo. — Helping to educate parents and children on the importance of staying safe in and around the water is the reason community-owned Water World recognizes and joins the water-play industry in endorsing May as National Water Safety Month. Enjoying water recreational activities together with friends and family is one of life’s great pleasures, especially during the quick- approaching hot summer months. However, tragically, in the U.S. drowning is the single leading cause of unintended death for children ages 1 to 4, the second leading cause for kids 4-14 and the third for adolescents ages 5-17. Loss of life from drowning CAN and SHOULD be prevented by making sure kids and adults are water aware.

While water parks like Water World are safe to visit due to the hundreds of highly trained lifeguards who work at the park, there are many places around the state where lifeguards are not always present. Consider Colorado’s beautiful lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams visited each year by fun-seeking families, and even some of our favorite hotels, resorts, backyard spas, pools…really anywhere there is unguarded water.

Now is a great time for parents to begin looking at community resources that offer water safety and swim lessons in their area — it is a great investment and an essential lifelong skill.

Here are a few basic safety tips to keep in mind as your family heads out for seasonal water fun:

  • Learn to swim. It’s the best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water. This includes both adults and children.
  • Parents are the first line of defense. If your child is in the water, you should be too! Make sure an adult is constantly watching young children swimming, playing, or bathing in water. Do not participate in any distracting activities while supervising children around water.
  • Wear a life jacket. Adults and kids should always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket while boating. Non-swimmers and inexperienced swimmers should also wear a life jacket when in and around any kind of water. Inflatable toys can be fun but are not a substitute for U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets.
  • Never swim alone or in unsupervised places. Teach your children to always swim with a buddy.
  • Look for lifeguards. Be sure the area is well supervised by lifeguards before you or others in your group enter the water.
  • No Alcohol or drugs of any sort around water, ever.