Swimming Pool Safety Tips

There was another near drowning in El Paso this weekend.  It may be the middle of summer, but there is still plenty of time to keep this from happening again...

A toddler was pulled from his family's backyard pool in the Lower Valley, thanks to his father's quick thinking.  Emergency crews said that the child appeared to be alert and had stable vital signs, but there are some easy things you can do to make sure your child is safe around water:

Make sure there is always an adult who can swim if there are kids in or around a pool.

Make sure you have a phone nearby so you can call 9-1-1 in case of an emergency.

Teach your kids to never go in or near the water unless there is an adult present.

Make sure your child knows how to swim by enrolling them in swimming lessons.  The City of El Paso has the Gus and Goldie swimming program that continues all summer long. 

You can also take swimming lessons at the various YMCA locations around town.  I called Kevin Pearson, President and CEO of YMCA, this morning.  He told me that after TAKS testing finishes up in the spring in El Paso schools, they go in and do water safety training during PE.  This spring 3,500 kids were taught water safety by the lovely folks at the YMCA.  Last year, over 4 thousand kids took swimming lessons with the Y!  They are a great resource for water safety!

And probably the most important thing of all - learn CPR!  It's a life-saver that everyone should know!  You can take a CPR class at the Red Cross here in El Paso.  Hopefully, you won't ever have to use what you learn, but it is always better to have the knowledge than not. 

We're pretty lucky here in El Paso to have swimming weather well into the fall and early winter, but don't rely on luck to keep your kiddoes safe around water.  Keep your kids water safe - it's so easy, and it will save so much grief and heartache down the road.