Well, it’s that time of year when many families take to the road to enjoy the last few days of summer and squeeze out a few more vacation days before the school season begins. However, now’s not the time to let your guard down in terms of water safety.

Not including boating incidents, on average about nine people die from drowning every day in the United States, according to the annual statistical report on unintentional injuries produced by the National Safety Council (NSC). In addition, the USA Swimming Foundation reports:

• Nearly 90 children younger than 15 drowned in a pool or spa from January through May 2018
• Every year about 19 children drown during the July 4 holiday
• 74% of drowning incidents for children younger than 15 between 2015 and 2017 occurred in residential locations
• Boys younger than 15 die from drowning at twice the rate as girls
• Emergency departments treat about 6,400 pool and spa injuries in children younger than 15 every year

While drowning deaths peak among one and two year olds, drownings continue to be the second leading cause of preventable death through age 15. With that in mind, Security Specialists urges you to keep the following top ten #safety and #security precautions in mind during these last few days of summer:

1. Lifeguards aren’t babysitters; always keep your eyes on your child
2. Don’t let children play around drains and suction fittings
3. Never swim alone and always swim in areas supervised by a lifeguard
4. Make sure the body of water matches your skill level; swimming in a pool is much different than swimming in a lake or river, where more strength is needed to handle currents
5. If you do get caught in a current, don’t try to fight it; stay calm and float with it, or swim parallel to the shore until you can swim free
6. Don’t push or jump on others
7. Don’t dive in unfamiliar areas
8. Never consume alcohol when operating a boat, and always make sure everyone is wearing U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets
9. Never drink alcohol when swimming; alcohol is involved in about half of all male teen drownings, according to KidsHealth.org
10. Get training in CPR and rescue techniques