CLOSTESTER, New Jersey (WABC) — Unfortunately, we cover backyard pool tragedies all too often, so just to be safe, you should install a fence around your pool.
Although there are a variety of door locks and alarm products available that will alert you if someone falls into a swimming pool, the most important way to prevent accidental drowning is to learn how to swim.
Drowning is the leading cause of death in children under four and the numbers are on the rise, ABC's Dr Darien Sutton said.
7 On Your Side visited a local swimming school where kids are learning life-saving skills.
Renee Lachiatti, regional manager for Goldfish Swim School, said the most important thing the kids are learning is how to hold their breath underwater.
“Kids need to understand and learn how to hold their breath underwater. In 20 seconds, they can drown, so alarms and other tools and gadgets are very important, but at the end of the day, you have to be able to save your own life. If you don't get to your child within 20 seconds, it might be too late, and that's really scary,” says Lachiatti. “So we have to teach kids that when water hits their face, they need to close their mouth.”
It's an important survival skill that children aren't born with, she said.
“Kids don't know how to close their mouths quickly if they fall in the water. It's not an instinctive thing. You know, kids can fall in the water in about 20 seconds. So teaching them to close their mouths quickly after falling in allows them to stay calm and come up with an escape strategy,” she said.
One of the other important safety skills we teach is teaching kids how to float and breathe on their backs.
“So we teach them chin up and tummy up, and to do that they have to pull their head back and get their ears wet, which is very uncomfortable for them. So we take a simple mirror and hold it in front of their face as a distraction, and they see themselves smiling while they pull their head back and get their ears wet,” Racchiatti said.
You will also learn how to reach the side of the pool if you fall into it.
“Oh man, I honestly feel 100 percent more secure now,” said the mother of a swim student. “If I leave my daughter out there and she goes in the water, I feel like I can be confident that she'll at least hold out until someone realizes she's in the water.”
Also, if you are a pool owner, make sure you always have life jackets available for children who can't swim.
“First of all, it needs to fit really snugly. And one of the things you want to make sure of is the two-finger test. You put two fingers in here. This part of the vest should not come above the edge of your earlobe. So this part of the vest should not come above your earlobe. It needs to fit snugly. And you put two fingers in. You give it a little bit of a tug. As long as it's not above your earlobe, that means it's a proper fit and it's safe,” Racchiatti said.
You should also make sure it is U.S. Coast Guard approved and that it is an appropriate weight for the wearer.
“This is a water guardian lanyard. We really hope that this summer and the ongoing 'Safer Swimmer' pledge will mean that if you have a pool party and you have kids or adults near the pool, they should be designated as a water guardian or water watcher. They should stand by the pool and keep an eye on the pool and do nothing else with any distractions other than making sure the swimmers are safe,” said Lachiatti.
“It's very important to me that my kids can swim. It makes them feel good in the summer and we have a pool and they always want to swim, so it's very important,” the mother said.
Now, thanks to Goldfish, the 2-4 year olds are ready for a safe summer.
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