CDC Features

CDC Features

Protect the Ones You Love from Drowning

Stay safe in, on, and around the water

When we're enjoying time at the pool or beach, water safety may not always be the first thing on our minds. Yet, staying safe enables us to enjoy ourselves to the fullest —especially when it comes to protecting kids. Drowning is a leading cause of injury death for young children ages 1 to 4.

Put Water Safety First

We all want to help our children live to their full potential and keep them safe and secure. Thankfully, parents can play a key role in protecting the children they love from drowning. Here are some good first steps:

Photo: Father and son in the pool Fence it off. Install a four–sided isolation fence, with self–closing and self–latching gates, around backyard swimming pools. This can help keep children away from the area when a parent cannot supervise them. Pool fences should completely separate the house and play area from the pool.

Make life jackets a "must." Make sure kids wear life jackets in and around natural bodies of water, such as lakes or the ocean, even if they know how to swim.

Learn CPR. Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and get recertified every two years. Immediate CPR can help a child stay alive and reduce the chance of brain damage.

Be on the look out. Supervise young children at all times around bathtubs, swimming pools, ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water.

Adults watching kids near water should avoid distracting activities like playing cards, reading books, or talking on the phone.

More Information

CDC Resources

Protect the Ones You Love

In an effort to raise parents' awareness about the leading causes of child injury in the United States and how they can be prevented, CDC has launched the “Protect the Ones You Love” initiative. Parents can play a life-saving role in protecting children from injuries. Learn more.