Summer Safety Mini-Series: Water Safety

Friday, August 12th, 2022 -- 1:01 PM

The Clark County Health Department is offering some summer safety tips.

We are in the middle of the dog days of summer, so what a perfect opportunity to review a few simple yet very important summer safety tips to ensure we can continue enjoying the heat, all while maintaining our health & safety.

This is the third and final topic in our three-part miniseries. The final topic is going to be water safety. Kelsey Wussow, Lead Public Health Nurse at the Clark County Health Department, described what you can do to keep yourself safe while enjoying the water.

Kelsey: "It is crucial to know that all drownings are preventable, and will not happen if children are being adequately monitored in and around water. To prevent complications related to a water incident, children should always wear a life jacket."

"If your child likes to be in the water, being a strong swimmer is necessary, therefore enroll your child in swim lessons at an early age, so they can learn how to respect the water."

"Life jackets are not a one size fits all concept. Choosing the correct life jacket is important, as it will help keep  your head above the water. If too big, the life jacket will ride up around your face; and if too small, it will not be able to keep your body afloat. For these reasons, life jackets designed for adults will not work for children."

"To ensure you are selecting the appropriate life jacket, & wearing it properly, remember these five guidelines: 

1. Check the manufacturer’s label to ensure that the life jacket is a proper fit for your size and  weight.  
2. Make sure the jacket is properly fastened. 
3. Hold your arms up straight over your head. 
4. Ask a friend to grasp the tops of the arm openings and gently pull up.  
5. Make sure there is no excess room above the openings and that the jacket does not ride up  over your chin or face."

"Several area lakes offer Life Jacket loaner stations, where you can “borrow” a life jacket for the day at these kiosks that state, “kids don’t float.” The life jackets are located inside."

"It is important to put them back once you are done so others may have the opportunity to use them. In Clark County, Lake Arbutus, Mead, and Rock  Dam have these stations."

"In the unfortunate event that a child is having complications after a water incident such as excessive coughing, irregular, fast, or difficulty breathing, blue lips, fatigue, or vomiting, seek medical attention immediately."

"As a parent or guardian, knowing how to provide first aid and administer CPR can be lifesaving in these instances. If you are interested to take a certification course, visit the American Red Cross website for course information & registration."

You can listen to my interview with Kelsey here!

If you'd like to learn more, you can contact the Clark County Health Department at 743-5105 or visit their website. You can also consult with your personal physician. And make sure you tune in next Friday at 9am for our Community Highlights Program on 1370AM WCCN/98.5FM as we here all three of our interviews with Kelsey regarding summer safety.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.