Be prepared, with water safety and CPR classes

With the recent drowning death of a 3 year old in South Wichita this week, and the count at 6 in June for drownings in our area, it's so important for all parents and grandparents to take water safety very seriously.

Lifehacker.com  published a blog post about "Recognizing the signs of Drowning", provided by the US Coast Guard. It's not like what you see in the movies. Recognizing the signs of a persons' instinctive drowning response, and helping that person before they move from distress to "drowning", can make a huge difference between life and death. Kidshealth.org provides a great guide for water safety for children, covering infant safety as well. I particularly like the tip to not allow babies and infants into public pools until potty trained, or taking care to use waterproof swim diapers, and/or pants and changing baby frequently (not poolside) to avoid contact with and spreading illness, like the parasite Cryptosporidium

Teach your children how to be "water wise" so that they will know how to be water safe all year, not just during the summer. Living near lakes, ponds, swimming pools, fountains, and even a neighbors small garden pond is a risk for drowning. It only takes two inches of water for a small child to drown.
With the increase of water parks in our area, make certain to read all posted rules and regulations and go over them with their children before playing. (via www.kidshealth.org)

If you are interested in learning CPR, go to your local American Red Cross training portal online and enter your zip code. They offer classes that take a day, and can prepare you in case the worst happens. For Wichitans,  The Mid-Way Kansas Chapter of the American Red Cross is located on 1900 E. Douglas. They offer a combined Adult and child/infant CPR course once per week, with the most recent one starting on July 8th, 2010. Lifesaver Learning, Inc, also offers 1-day general public CPR/First Aid/Safety classes that are offered twice per month. Both charge nominal fees for this life saving training.

Keeping cool and having fun in the water this summer should not end in tragedy. Armed with the right knowledge and training, your summer can be a memorable, uneventful one.