BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — As school lets out and summer begins, the warm weather is drawing thousands of people to beaches, pools and lakes. It's a great time to swim, but experts say it's also the perfect time to focus on swimming safety.
According to the Louisiana Department of Health, drowning deaths have plummeted by 40 percent, but it remains the third leading cause of death.
Dr. Gina LaGarde of LDH says drownings don't happen for long, and she advises adults to also learn to swim, which can help prevent these types of accidents.
“It doesn't take much for a young child to drown, it only takes a few minutes,” Lagarde said.
“Even the strongest adult swimmer can drown just as easily as someone who doesn't know how to swim.”
Shelley Rogers, CEO of Crawfish Swim School, said one of the contributing factors in drownings is lack of adult supervision.
“Most drownings happen when a parent is within 20 feet of the child,” Rogers said.
Drowning is often difficult to hear, so many adults at the scene may not realize a child is in distress, Rogers said.
“It can happen very quietly and very quickly, so make sure you always keep a close eye on your children,” Rogers said.
Weather experts say this year's hurricane season will be much stronger than usual, and Lagarde said swimming in the ocean may become more difficult.
“Even the strongest swimmers can get caught in an ebb and flow tide, and that tide can pull people out,” Lagarde said.
According to Rogers, swimming lessons start by teaching students how to breathe underwater.
“The main thing is blowing bubbles, but you should actually be able to exhale the air, because when you exhale, your head comes up, and you can breathe in,” Rogers said.
Another important safety tip Rogers stresses is to choose swimwear in the right color to make you or your child more visible in the water.
“Avoid swimsuits that are the same color as the bottom of the pool or blue. If you're in an area that can't be seen from the surface, like a lake or pond, avoid very dark colors,” Rogers said.
