The American Red Cross, which takes part in National Water Safety Month every May, offers the following advice for staying safe in the water:
1. Fence off backyard pools to prevent children from accessing them when there is no one around to provide supervision. Use self-latching gates and ensure the fencing is at least 4 feet high.
2. Place children in life jackets – do not rely on inflatable toys to keep children above water.
3. Adult swimmers should supervise children the entire time they are in the water, staying within arm’s reach of weak swimmers at all times.