Child water safety guide: survival swimming, life jackets, constant supervision

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About 4,000 to 5,000 people drown each year in the United States, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data cited by health news outlet Medical Xpress. A child can drown in seconds, making rapid rescue and resuscitation critical to preventing death or lifelong disability, Dr. Rohit Shenoi, a pediatric emergency physician at Texas Children's Hospital, said in an interview with the outlet. Shenoi is the lead author of a recent American Academy of Pediatrics warning on water safety.

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 and one of the leading causes for those ages 5 to 14. While some drownings occur in bathtubs, most happen in swimming pools or natural bodies of water such as lakes, rivers and oceans.

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Korea faces similar risks. Children 9 and younger account for about 30 percent of the country's emergency room visits for water-related injuries — the highest share of any age group — according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Government data underscores the danger of negligence. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety reported 122 summer drowning deaths from 2019 to 2023, noting that more than 80 percent resulted from a lack of swimming ability, carelessness or alcohol consumption.

Stew Leonard, chief executive of a U.S. grocery chain that funds swimming lessons and drowning prevention activities, urged parents to eliminate distractions. "When guardians watch children near a pool, they should put away their mobile phones and focus on watching them," Leonard said. "That can prevent accidents that happen in the blink of an eye".

Stew Leonard, chief executive of the regional grocery chain Stew Leonard's — which funds swimming lessons and water safety campaigns — urged parents to eliminate distractions.

"When guardians watch children near a pool, they should put away their mobile phones and focus on watching them," Leonard said. "That can prevent accidents that happen in the blink of an eye." He established a water safety foundation after losing his 21-month-old son, Stewie, in a 1989 drowning.

Based on advice from aquatic safety experts, parents and guardians should follow three primary guidelines to protect children at swimming pools

First, guardians must maintain constant supervision and never take their eyes off the child. Because children often sink quietly rather than thrashing or shouting, supervising adults must avoid using cellphones or socializing. Toddlers and inexperienced swimmers must play within immediate arm's reach of an adult.

Second, guardians must equip children with certified life jackets tailored to their exact body weight. The crotch strap must be fastened firmly to prevent the jacket from riding up over the child's chin. Adults must not blindly trust inflatable arm bands or plastic swim rings, which are merely water-play toys that can easily flip over or deflate.

Third, adults should teach children survival swimming to help them stay afloat until rescuers arrive. Children should learn to curl their bodies in the water to preserve body heat for extended periods. The most effective way to protect children is to ensure they take structured swimming lessons.

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To execute a back float, a child must relax, lie flat on the water and maintain buoyancy by keeping air in the lungs.

Physics plays a crucial role. Seawater's specific gravity of about 1.025 — compared to 1.0 for freshwater — makes it easier to float. Even in a freshwater pool, taking a full breath reduces the body's specific gravity to 0.97, making it lighter than water. To avoid sinking, swimmers should keep their lungs 70 to 80 percent full of air. Inhaling expands the chest, which increases buoyancy.

Proper breathing techniques are vital for beginners.

Common misconceptions

Real drownings often occur silently. When children fall into the water, they instinctively focus only on breathing, leaving them unable to shout or wave for help. They may appear calm, as if swimming or playing normally, requiring guardians to maintain constant vigilance.

Unlike ordinary swimming, which aims to move forward, survival swimming focuses on staying afloat as long as possible until rescuers arrive. Given a child's cognitive and physical development, structured survival swimming education is most effective starting at age 4.

This article from Kormedi.com, Korea’s top health care and medical portal, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.