NOTEWORTHY WEDNESDAY!

Summer is officially here.

Swim Safety is so important at all times but especially in the summer months.

Drowning is the second most common cause of death from injuries among kids under the age of 14. Drowning can happen so fast — sometimes in less than 2 minutes after a persons head goes under the water. That leaves very little time for someone to help.

via Swimming.

My children were taught to swim to the side of the pool and tread water when they were barely walking because we lived in Florida at the time and pools were all around us.

Of course “waterproofing” a child is no guarantee that he or she will not get into trouble around a pool…and here is a true story.

One evening while living in South Florida, one of our friends came home from work to greet his family.  His five year old son, nonchalantly  said,

“Hi Daddy, Jimmy is at the bottom of the pool”…

Our friend went into panic mode…ran to their screened in pool area, dove into the water to bring his limp 3-year-old son to the surface and immediately give him CPR.

Fortunately, it was just in time…and his son responded to his resuscitation efforts. Luckily, dad was a physician and knew how to respond…but at that moment he was a panicked father too.

Not all stories of accidental drowning end with a successful resuscitation. Timing is everything.

Parks Department Offers Swimming Lessons for Second Graders – NYTimes.com.

More tips on swim safety: Swimming.