Editor’s Notebook -- Danette Goulet

Summer is here and we’ve already heard some nearly devastating news

about the near drowning of a small child. Last week, a mother’s quick

actions saved the life of her 1 1/2-year-old daughter, who had fallen

into the family Jacuzzi.

Thankfully, the little girl is OK and recovering with her family.

Sadly, this won’t be the only such incident we hear of this summer.

According to the Orange County Fire Authority, of all preschoolers who

drown, 70% are in the care of one or both parents at the time of the

drowning, and 75% are out of sight for five minutes or less.

Swimming pools are 14 times more likely to cause the death of a child

under the age of 4 than a car accident and in 10 states, including

California, drowning is the No. 1 cause of death for children 14 and

younger.

These are some frightening statistics to hear with children out of

school and clamoring to get to the pool and ocean.

The Huntington Beach Fire Department offers the following advice to

prevent children from drowning:

* Children can drown in the time it takes to answer the phone or door.

Don’t break visual contact.

* Install alarms on doors and windows leading to the water, at least

5-feet high so children cannot reach them. Secure and lock all doors and

windows when not in use.

* Install a 5-foot fence that separates the pool/spa from the

residence with openings no more than 4-inches wide. Place items that can

be climbed on away from the fence.

* Install self-closing and self-latching fence gates with latches

above 54-inches high. The gates should open outward.

* Mount rescue equipment by the pool (lifesaving ring, shepherd’s hook

and CPR sign). Many float-type toys are thought to be lifesavers, but

they are not. They are only toys.

* Never leave toys in or around the pool/spa area.

* Post the 911 emergency phone number on all phones. Have a phone near

the pool area.

* Assign an adult “water watcher” to supervise the pool/spa area,

especially during social gatherings.

* Never leave a child alone near a pool/spa, bathtub, toilet,

water-filled bucket, pond or any form of standing water in which the

child’s nose and mouth may be submerged.

* Don’t rely on swimming lessons, life preservers or other equipment

to make a child safe in the water.

* Don’t allow children to play in the pool/spa area.

* Look in the pool area first if a child is missing.

* Communicate pool safety measures with baby sitters.

* Learn how to perform infant/child CPR.

* If you find a child in a pool, yell for help and get the child out

of the pool and onto the pool deck. If someone is with you, have them

call 911. Determine if the child is breathing. If you don’t hear or feel

breathing or see the chest rising begin CPR until emergency help arrives.

If you are alone and the child is not breathing, start CPR. After one

minute call 911. Return to the child and continue CPR until help arrives.

These safety tips were taken from the brochure, “Children Drown

Without a Sound: Water Safety Tips” available at all Huntington Beach

fire stations.