10 Keys to prevent a child from drowning

Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in children between 5 and 14 years of age worldwide. It only takes 27 seconds for a child to lose control in the water, and between 3 and 5 minutes for him to drown. To avoid an accident of this kind, parental supervision is essential. Write down the

Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in children between 5 and 14 years of age worldwide. It only takes 27 seconds for a child to lose control in the water, and between 3 and 5 minutes for him to drown.

To avoid an accident of this kind, parental supervision is essential. Write down these tips. They can be vital.

10 keys to prevent your child from drowning

1. Always choose swimming areas with lifeguard. Always choose the monitored areas, respect the instructions of the rescuers and the signage and flags that inform about the characteristics of the installation or the state of the sea. Remember:

- Green Flag: bathroom allowed.

- Yellow Flag: bathroom with caution.

- Red Flag: prohibited to bathe.

2. Do not lose sight of them. Supervision has to be constant. Children should always be in sight and within your reach. Never turn your back on your children when they are inside or near the water, a few seconds are enough for them to be in serious danger. If necessary, establish shifts so that there is an adult permanently watching so that you can intervene immediately in case of any problem.

3. Avoid distractions. Eliminate possible distractions on your part. The main cause of failures in swimming pool supervision is a distracted adult, answering the phone or going inside the house to do some homework. Never relax the surveillance.

4. Protects the domestic pool. Make sure your children can not easily access the pool. If you have a pool in your house, install a barrier system that covers the entire perimeter so that children can not access or fall accidentally, with sufficient height and doors with child-proof locking system. Complement it with an alarm system for falls to the water.

5. Remove the toys and create a safe environment. When not in use, remove all toys and objects that children use or associate with the bathroom from the pool and its surroundings. Involve them in their safety, ask them to help you pick up and close the pool. Prot 6. Protect them with a life jacket.

Floats, tables, hoses and other floating devices give children and parents a false sense of security and should be used only with close adult supervision. The most recommended and safest option is an approved life jacket, which does not exempt from supervision. Inte 7. Try to learn to swim as soon as possible. Knowing how to swim provides safety and enjoyment, but does not fully protect against drowning. It has been shown that learning the "self-rescue skills in water", which work flotation reactions and survival in water, increases its effectiveness at any age.

8. Teach them how to behave in water safely. Our duty as parents is to learn, put into practice and transmit to our children all the rules of safety in the water and, above all, teach with our example.

9. Learn to act in an emergency. In an emergency you have to: Protect, Alert and Help.

- Protect, to limit the damage. - Alert, asking for help and calling the emergency number (in Spain, 112).

- Help, applying first aid immediately.

Learning the basic first aid and knowing how to resuscitate a child or an adult with CPR techniques is very simple, accessible to anyone and saves lives

10. You are the best lifeguard.

The main tasks of the Lifeguards are: Prevent, Watch and Help, but the responsibility of the children is yours. Put into practice all the safety recommendations in the aquatic environment and take care of yours, for your safety. You are the best Lifeguard that your children can have.

Source consulted: Segovian Lifeguard School