Rhode Island Sees Far Too Many Drowning Accidents Every Summer

Losing a child to drowning is both tragic and something that happens way too frequently, especially during the summer. Drowning kills almost 1,000 children every single year and is the highest cause of injury-related deaths amongst children between the ages of one and four.

Many of these accidents occur when children are not being supervised or expected to be swimming and have unanticipated access to water; for example, by entering someone else’s property when the proper locks and safety precautions have not been installed. The important thing to remember is that drowning tragedies can happen to anyone—regardless of age or number of swimming lessons—and therefore, it is crucial that the proper safety precautions be taken with the intention of protecting everyone when it comes to access to water.

Those Most At Risk

The highest rate of drowning occurs in toddlers under the age of four. Most infants drown in buckets and bathtubs, while most preschool age children drown in swimming pools; followed by adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 years old. African-American children specifically have the highest drowning-related fatalities rates and children with autism or other medical conditions are also especially at risk.

Signs of drowning include silence, panic, a child’s head tilting back so as to open their airways quickly, and/or a child’s arms moving downward.

Taking The Proper Safety Precautions

One measure that can reduce drowning risks for your child includes providing them with swim lessons (which they can start around age one) and ensuring that they wear life jackets when near water. However, parents should first discuss with their pediatrician whether their child is ready for swim lessons. In addition, just because the child has swim lessons does not mean that they are “drown-proof” and their environment should not be made as safe as possible. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pools be isolated with four-sided fencing that is at least four feet tall and includes so self-latching gates and self-closing. Parents and property owners should also make sure other bodies of water on their property are also safe for children, including any that may be lured by that water into trespassing onto the property, where they might drown.

Contact Our Providence Drowning Accidents Lawyer

When accidents do occur, it tends to be due to a property owner failing to properly protect children from drowning risks and dangers. This can be due to being negligent in terms of a swimming pool on your property that you know children use, or even a public or private swimming pool that fails to hire a trained lifeguard or supervisor to protect children swimming there.

If you or a loved one experienced a drowning-related injury or loss due to someone’s negligence, contact our experienced Providence drowning accident attorney at the Kiselica Law Firm to find out more about your rights.

Resource:

usatoday.com/story/life/parenting/2019/08/02/drowning-accidents-can-happen-anyone-what-parents-should-know/1889138001/