Three Things Thursday highlights three things I am paying attention to as an epidemiologist each week. This is my third post this week.
On Monday, I provided an H5N1 influenza update. Yesterday, I introduced you to those FLiRT(y) COVID variants.
Today I want to (belatedly) acknowledge International Water Safety Day, which —
“brings global attention to the critical issue of drowning and aims to educate youth about becoming safer in and around water. This observance is dedicated to spreading awareness about the drowning pandemic and promoting water safety education.”
My three things this week will include —
Three (startling) facts about drownings
A reflection on my time as a lifeguard (and what it was like pulling a drowning three-year-old out of the pool)
Steps we all need to take to prevent drownings from occurring
Hoping this post helps to educate and empower you
to be healthy and create healthy communities.
Three Facts about Drownings
First — drowning is defined as the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion or immersion in liquid. Drowning happens when a person's nose and mouth are underwater for too long, making breathing impossible.
In the United States, there are more than 4,000 fatal drownings each year
(~11 each day).Drowning is the #1 cause of death for children ages 1-4.
55% of US adults have NEVER taken a swim lesson, even though swimming and water safety skills prevent drowning.1
On a Personal Note — Reflections from a former lifeguard
I was a lifeguard throughout high school and college. I spent seven summers lifeguarding at a public community pool. On a crowded day (or July 3 when there was free admission), we would have 800-1000 patrons at our facility. On a typical day there would be nine lifeguards watching the pool in shifts + a head guard, who was responsible for everything. It was a great job — lots of fun (in the sun). We snacked on popcorn, drank endless Diet Cokes and pink lemonade mixed, and enjoyed yelling at kids to stop running on the slippery pool deck.
It was a cushy/fun job until it wasn’t…
One hot July afternoon, I began my first shift in the chair at 1:20pm. I was one of two lifeguards guarding a section of the pool that ranged in depth from 2-4 feet. I had been in my chair for maybe 3-4 minutes when I saw one of the regular pool moms (who was there often throughout the summer) frantically moving throughout my section of the pool. She was searching for someone and screaming for a child by name.
Within seconds, both the pool mom and I saw her.
A lifeless child. Floating face up. In 3.5 feet of water. Turning blue.
The mom got to the child before I could jump down from my chair. I saw her pick up the little girl, under the armpits, and her little head fell backwards. She was unconscious. She had drowned in front of me. And another lifeguard. And a pool full of kids and parents and a summer camp program with camp counselors in the water.
I remember jumping down from my lifeguard chair. I blew my whistle.
I only remember other two things — first, as I was pulling this child out of the pool, I prayed that my friend and fellow lifeguard Kristy would magically show up. She was an EMT and would know what to do. Unfortunately, Kristy was not working that day. I was on my own.
The next thing I remember was hearing the ambulance siren. Help was on the way.
What I do NOT remember (but was told by another one of the pool moms, who was also an ICU nurse) is pulling the child out of the pool and administering CPR. Supposedly, I checked to see if she was breathing or had a pulse. She did not. I performed CPR (as a 17-year-old high school kid) and this little three-year-old started to breathe again. She threw up a lot of water but was conscious. And she didn’t look blue anymore.
The EMTs took her away.
I spent the afternoon filing paperwork (with my ICU nurse helping to fill in some of my gaps in memory), speaking to the police, and talking with the EMTs again.
The little girl ended up being just fine. I believe she spent the night in the hospital for observation.
I was a little rattled. The image of a lifeless three-year-old drowning in front of me was a hard one to get out of my mind. I also had an endless list of questions — how could this situation be prevented? Was I to blame?
My boss made me get back up in the lifeguard chair later that day. My boss stood behind me thought-out my shift in the chair speaking words of encouragement. I’m pretty sure the only reason I continued to be a lifeguard and continued to swim is because I got back into that lifeguard chair that day. So many lessons learned in that moment (which I will share at another time).
Looking back on this event (which occurred 30 years ago this summer) I see the beginnings of my interest in prevention. I also see the genesis of my quest to create healthy communities and healthy spaces for people to swim, play, and cool off during the summer. Being safe in water is not an individual responsibility or action. It involves many people — individuals should learn to swim, children should be supervised by an adult who can swim, adults should also swim with a buddy, pools and beaches should be guarded by lifeguards, warnings should be issued when conditions make it unsafe to swim, and we should all learn how to identify and treat a drowning victim. We should take CPR and lifeguarding classes. Become certified. Become experts.
Health is not just an individual action or something you can do on your own; it requires a community, policies, training, education, and experts to guide us and help us to maintain healthy communities for all.
Steps to Prevent Drownings
Children should be supervised. Always. From the bathtub to swimming pools, backyard kiddie pools to the ocean — an adult who can swim should be watching the children in the water. Always.
Swim lessons are essential. Learning to swim decreases the risk of drowning.
Life jackets should be worn, especially when boating.
Do NOT mix alcohol and water activities.
**Note — this means that at a pool party, there should be a designated supervisor who is watching the kids and is completely sober.Learn to recognize what drowning looks like.
Learn CPR.
Never swim alone. Even as an adult. Even if you are an excellent swimmer. Under no circumstances do you enter a body of water alone and unsupervised.
Questions? Thoughts? Your own stories to share about water safety?
I do want to note that I was an All-American collegiate swimmer and am in two athletic halls of fame — for swimming. And still, I have been pulled out of the water by a lifeguard twice. We all need help sometimes. And water is powerful. And can be dangerous. Water safety is no joke.
As always — please share this post with one friend or family member. This helps me in my quest to create healthy communities and it helps you to increase the health knowledge of your friends and family. A win-win!
Epi(demiology) Matters is written by Dr. Becky Dawson, PhD MPH — an epidemiologist, teacher, mom, wife, and dedicated yogi. She is a tenured professor at Allegheny College, Research Director at a community hospital, and an exclusive contributor (all things health & medicine) at Erie News Now (NBC/CBS). Her goal is to create healthy communities for all. She writes Epi Matters — first & foremost because epidemiology does matter (to all of us) and she hopes that each post will help to educate and empower readers to be healthy and create healthy communities.
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NOTE: This is self-reported data. We do not have self-report data for children. It is unclear how many children (<18 years of age) have taken a swim lesson.