Swimming lessons are great, but they are no substitute for active supervision and a pool fence in good working order.
Image: Young boy under water in a pool in a white t-shirt giving a thumbs up.
Aussies love nothing more than going for a swim at the beach, jumping into the backyard or public swimming pools, or mucking around along the river to cool down with friends or family after a long, hot day.
But while it’s a wonderful treat, water danger is very real and all too often has tragic outcomes.
In fact, drowning is one of the major causes of death for Australian children under five years of age.
With Summer set to be a scorcher this year, keeping our children safe in, on, and around water is so important to ensure your Summer fun doesn’t lead to tragedy.
Royal Life Saving Australia urges parents and carers to follow four important steps to keep children safe by the water:
Supervise
Restrict access
Create water awareness, and
Resuscitate (know how to administer)
Distractions like answering the phone, attending to another child, or ducking inside to grab something can have tragic consequences if a toddler is left unattended by water.
You can learn about water safety in the Life Without Barriers Carer Guide under 'Water safety' - it is aimed at our wonderful foster carers but is applicable to everyone.
You can also visit the Royal Life Saving Australia website to learn more about these steps and tips on pool safety.
