Layers of Protection – Drowning is PREVENTABLE

Drowning is the leading cause of death among children ages 1-4 in Florida. Florida’s drowning death rate among children ages 1-4 is the highest in the nation. Enough children drown each year in Florida to fill three to four preschool classrooms. By no means has Collier County been spared this preventable tragedy. According to the Bureau of Vital Statistics, drowning is the leading cause of death of children ages one to four in Collier County. 

Our Coalition recognizes that multiple layers of protection are necessary to prevent drowning. We stresses that NO single device or solution can prevent child drownings. Parents, caregivers, aquatic facility owners, managers and operators should use “layers of protection” to provide a system of increased security to prevent unauthorized access to bodies of water, especially important for children. This means that multiple strategies or devices are used constantly and simultaneously.

Drowning happens to the BEST PARENTS and the BEST PEOPLE. It is silent and preventable.

We have included videos at the bottom of this page.

We must follow the layers of protection to prevent the leading cause of death of children ages 1-4. We never know which layer of protection will save a life until      it does, so please - layer up! 

Here are the layers  of protection recommended by experts: 

• Use  Barriers  –
  Fences, self-closing/self-latching gates and secured doors with alarms  can prevent young children from wandering into the pool/canal/lake.

• Supervise –
  There Is No  Substitute for Active Supervision! Actively supervise children in and  around open bodies of water, giving them your undivided attention. When  there are several adults present and children are swimming, use the Water Watcher card strategy, which designates an adult as the Water Watcher for  a certain amount of time (such as 15.-minute periods) to      prevent lapses in supervision. IF YOUR CHILD IS MISSING,  CHECK NEARBY POOLS and OTHER WATER AREAS FIRST.

• Learn  to Swim –     
  To stay safer in the water, all family members should learn to swim well. Teach  children NEVER SWIM ALONE and that they MUST have an adult with them near  a pool/canal/lake. Young children and inexperienced swimmers need to wear  a Coast Guard-approved life jacket (not water wings). Here is a link to Collier County swimming providers.  

• Know  How to Respond –
  Get training in basic water rescue skills, first aid, and CPR.  Have rescue equipment and a phone by the pool

• Install alarms on all doors and windows that lead outside.
• Install locks at least 54 inches high (that’s 4 and 1/2 feet or 1.4 meters) on all doors, including sliding glass.
• Keep windows locked as well or install window screens.
• If there is a swimming pool near your home, make sure a high fence goes all the way around it.
• The gate should close and latch by itself.
• Make sure everyone who cares for your child, like grandparents, neighbors or baby sitters, also have fences, locks and alarms.
• Make sure everyone who cares for your child knows about nearby water dangers such as ponds, ditches, lakes, canals.
• Keep chairs, stools and tables away from fencing so your child cannot climb over.
• Empty plastic and blow-up pools before taking your child inside. Turn empty plastic buckets or flower pots upside down so they cannot collect rain water.
• Empty or drain bathtubs as soon as bath-time is over.
• Install safety covers on all hot tubs.
• Remove ladders from above ground pools after each use. Keep chairs and tables away from above ground pools so your child cannot climb in.
• Do not let your child play near pool drains because children can get stuck on them.

• When your child is bathing or playing in or near water, KEEP YOUR EYES ON HIM OR HER AT ALL TIMES. NO TEXTING or TALKING ON THE PHONE. It only takes seconds for a child to drown.
• NEVER SWIM ALONE. Teach your child that he must never play in water unless a grown up is watching.
• Take your child to swimming lessons. If you don’t know how to swim, learn how. Here is link to Collier County Swimming Programs. 
• IF YOUR CHILD IS MISSING, CHECK NEARBY POOLS AND OTHER WATER AREAS FIRST. Remember it only takes seconds for a child to drown.

• Don’t trust blow-up rings or armbands also known as floaties or water wings. These are toys. They can’t keep your child safe. Use a Puddle-jumper instead.
• Have a Lifeguard or designated Water Watcher at events at or near water.
• Put a U.S. Coast Guard approved life vest on all children who can’t swim. Loaner life jackets are now available at Sugden Park and 14 public beaches in Collier County.
• Don’t trust blow-up rings or armbands also known as floaties or water wings. These are toys. They can’t keep your child safe. Use a puddlejumper instead.
• Watch your children carefully. Lifeguards are not babysitters.
• Keep a phone near the pool, but only for emergencies.
• Never jump in the water to rescue someone. You both could drown. Call for help and reach out with something he can grab, like a pole or swim noodle, then pull him to safety.
• Make sure you, the grandparents and baby sitters are trained in CPR. This booklet has phone numbers and websites to learn CPR.
• If your car or truck ever goes off the road and lands in water, you only have seconds to get out. You do not have time to call for help. Have a tool in your car that can cut the seat belt and break the windows.