(KERO) — After three children died from accidental drowning in 2020, Kern County Public Health is urging residents to use caution around large bodies of water.
With temperatures rising, public health is asking residents to learn proper water safety. While water can be fun for kids and a great way to escape the heat, it can also pose serious dangers.
Safe Kids International reports that drowning is the third leading cause of death among children 19 and under. According to the Kern County Child Death Review Team, in 2020, three children died from accidental drowning. Since 2014, 35 Kern County children to accidental drowning. “
The drowning of a child is a tragic occurrence for families and communities,” says Brynn Carrigan, Director of Kern County Public Health. “Parents and caregivers can play a key role in preventing children from drowning.”
Public health offered the following water safety tips:
- Ensure children are always supervised when playing in or around water.
- Empty all tubs, buckets, containers and kiddie pools immediately after use.
- Install fences around home pools. A pool fence should surround all sides of the pool and be at least four feet tall with self-closing and self-latching gates.
- Learn CPR. Performing resuscitation on a drowning victim in the time it takes for first responders to arrive could save their life. To learn more visit Safe Kids International’s website www.safekids.org.
