#73 Water Safety

My father taught me the irony of water: we spend as much time fighting to keep it out of some places as we do trying to contain it within others. Without it, nothing lives, yet it can be incredibly destructive. That contradiction illustrates a critical truth. We cannot control water, and therein lies its danger, especially when it comes to water safety in the summer.

Water is powerful, unpredictable, and deceptive. The phrase “still waters run deep” refers to a quiet, calm person with a complex, interesting, inner life – an apt metaphor for the currents and turmoil often lurking beneath the surface of any body of water. I think of the four-acre pond at the Eno Quarry, which closed in 1964. It has claimed at least four lives and broken the bones of countless others who jumped into its serene beauty only to be surprised by its surprising depth and hidden dangers.

Did you know a toddler can drown in only two inches of water? Children that young have small bodies, large heads, and are still figuring out how to control their limbs. They usually find it difficult to return to an upright position if they slip in the bathtub or stick their head into a carwash bucket. One panicked inhalation in the water can lead to a blocked airway. Obviously, the shallow end of a pool and the ocean’s edge are therefore dangerous for little ones.

If you’ve seen a drowning depicted on TV, you probably have the wrong expectations. Drowning is a surprisingly silent event, not a noisy, violent episode of splashing and screaming. The person is unlikely to call for help; the human body prioritizes breathing and staying afloat over shouting. Sufferers often look calm or even passive to people standing nearby. Victims are usually vertical in the water, with a tipped back head, a mouth just at water level, and glassy, unfocused eyes. They may appear to be climbing a ladder, but they are not making effective movement in any direction.

My wife and I have a pool, and our grandkids love it. But the mere presence of that pool means they are always in danger at our house, not just when we are swimming. If they are on the property, someone must have eyes on them. Around a pool, the water watcher is akin to a designated driver at a bar or party but with even more restrictions. Think about the lifeguards you have known. They sit alone, with no phones, conversations, or other distractions. The job requires total concentration and sobriety.

People frequently assume children are safer if many adults surround the pool, lake, or seashore. The reality is that if everyone is “watching the kids,” no one is watching them carefully. Even casual conversation distracts; the risks increase exponentially if people are drinking, reading, or scrolling on their phones.

Children who take swimming lessons early in life often experience a decreased fear of the water, increased ability to submerge their faces, and some can even demonstrate a survival float−although they might not understand its purpose. I am all for early swim lessons, as long as no one forgets that children younger than three or four rarely have the physical coordination and the mental judgment to be a competent, water-safe swimmer.

Experts do not recommend floaties, water wings, or innertubes. These aids can slip off, pop, or trap a child upside down. Life jackets, also called personal flotation devices or PFDs, are the best form of protection. Manufacturers design them with floatation pads that turn a person – even an unconscious one – face up in the water.

Everyone on a boat, not just children, should wear a PFD. Intending to grab one in case of an emergency is like planning to buckle your seatbelt during a traffic crash. If the boat capsizes or collides with another vessel, a PFD will rarely be within your reach when you surface after being thrown into the water. Moreover, if you sustain an injury during the emergency, you may have trouble swimming to a PFD or putting it on.

No one, regardless of ability, should swim alone. Leave the water if you hear thunder or see lightning. Have a rescue plan, make sure you have a phone nearby, and learn CPR.

Water both enhances and threatens life – sometimes in the same moment.  Tragedy happens when we assume it won’t. Stay sober, take your turn watching, and above all, respect the power of water. That simple act can mean everything.

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