18 children have already drowned in Texas this year
Lots of Texans are heading to the water this Memorial Day weekend, the symbolic start of the summer season. It's a great way to beat the heat, but a trip to the water ends in tragedy for too many families. More than 90 kids drown in Texas each year, mostly between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
That's why the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) is kicking off a new campaign called "Watch Kids Around Water". It features a summer-long online ad campaign, a new website (
WatchKidsAroundWater.org) full of safety tips, drowning statistics, and a "Lifeguard 101" teaching tool, plus a fun Facebook app (coming soon) to get people talking about and sharing water safety information.
The goal? To educate and motivate parents, foster parents, daycare workers, and all caregivers to be "lifeguards" for kids, both indoors and outdoors.
Drowning is a leading cause of accidental death among infants, toddlers and young children. In fact, 18 children have drowned in Texas so far this year.
“These are heartbreaking tragedies. But, we can prevent them by never leaving children, especially small children, alone around water,” says DFPS Commissioner Howard Baldwin. “It only takes minutes for a child to drown. So be a lifeguard for all kids and never leave them unsupervised for any length of time.”
Toddlers and preschoolers are the most at risk, and they don't just drown at pools or while swimming. This year, Texas kids have drowned in a bathtub, a hot tub, and in a ditch, as well as in pools and ponds. In the past, toddlers have also drowned in toilets, mop buckets, and even a septic tank. See the map on the
WatchKidsAroundWater.org to see where children have drowned in Texas.
Children under a year old most often drown inside the house (bathtubs, buckets, or toilets), while children from one to four-years old most often drown outdoors, especially in backyard swimming pools. Most young children who drowned in pools were last seen in the home, were out of sight less than five minutes, and were in the care of one or both parents at the time.
Basic Water Safety Tips
Inside the house
Never leave small children alone near any container of water. This includes toilets, tubs, aquariums, or mop buckets.
Keep bathroom doors closed and secure toilet lids with lid locks.
Never leave a baby alone in a bath for any reason. Get the things you need before running water. Infants can drown in any amount of water. If you must leave the room, take the child with you.
Warn babysitters or caregivers about the dangers of water to young children and stress the need for constant supervision.
Make sure small children cannot leave the house through pet doors or unlocked doors and reach pools or hot tubs.
Outside the house
Never leave children alone around water whether it is in a pool, wading pool, drainage ditch, creek, pond or lake.
Constantly watch children who are swimming or playing in water. They need an adult or certified lifeguard watching and within reach.
Secure access to swimming pools. Use fences, self-closing and latching gates, and water surface alarms.
Completely remove the pool cover when the pool is in use.
Store water toys away from the water, when not in use, so they don't attract a small child.
Don’t assume young children will use good judgment and caution around water.
Be ready for emergencies. Keep emergency telephone numbers handy and learn CPR.
Find out if your child's friends or neighbors have pools.
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