The kickoff weekend for the summer season is getting close — Memorial Day! During this time, residents and visitors from around the country will be kicking off their long weekend working on their tan in a swimming pool under the Florida sun.
Unfortunately, with this long holiday weekend, we’re expected a number of news reports of boys and girls who needlessly drowned because of negligence, their own lack of swimming skills or because of inadequate protection, faulty equipment and lack of supervision. It happens every year, an increase in the number of these kinds of accidents over the Memorial Day weekend. Swimming pool accidents in Broward County and elsewhere are alarmingly common during this time of year. Luckily, there are precautionary steps that can be taken to help to minimize the risks of these kinds of accidents.
It’s especially important to keep an eye on our young swimmers. As a matter of fact, kids ages 1- to 4-years-old face the highest risks for drowning. These accidents are the number one cause of death for this young age group in the state of Florida. Did you know that Broward County leads the state of Florida in the number of drowning deaths each year? Picture this. Enough children drown in the state of Florida each year to fill the seats of roughly four classrooms.
Our Fort Lauderdale accident attorneys understand that there’s one link that can help to save children from drowning-related accidents — parents! Parents and guardians are asked to take all of the necessary safety precautions to minimize these risks. It may be a weekend for fun, but it’s also a time to step up and to help protect our young ones. Review the safety tips listed below to help make your Memorial Day injury free.
“We hope parents and caregivers will take heed of these very important safety tips and suggestions,” says Sheryl Woods, President/CEO of the Broward County YMCA.
Swimming Pool Safety Tips:
-Make sure that children are ALWAYS supervised. Never leave them alone in a pool, not even for a second.
-Consider installing a four-sided fence around your swimming pool to keep wandering children away. These fences should be at least 4 feet tall and should be difficult to climb, meaning it shouldn’t be a chain-link fence.
-Keep all doors around a pool locked, including the swimming pool fence.
-Consider enrolling your child into a swim class.
-Parents, guardians and caregivers should be certified in CPR.
Of the children who died in drowning-related accidents in Broward County in the last 3 years:
-Nearly 85 percent were males.
-Nearly 60 percent were African-American.
-More than 80 percent were familiar with the swimming pool where the accident happened and died in their own backyard or in their community.
-In more than 95 percent of the cases, an adult was present when the accident happened.
If you or someone you know has been in a pool or spa accident in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach or the surrounding areas, contact the personal injury lawyers at Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez. Call for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights at 1-800-529-2368.
More Blog Entries:
Pool Safely PSA aimed at reducing pool accidents in Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, May 19, 2011
Pool and Spa Drain Accidents a Danger from Fort Lauderdale to Fort Pierce, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, April 22, 2011