With the weather warming up and sunny days becoming more of a norm, the water beckons! Maybe you’re looking forward to swimming, fishing or boating.

No matter what water activity you choose, you’ll want to be sure to do it safely. That’s why our team at AFC Urgent Care Spring Hill wants to take a few minutes to talk through the basics of water safety.

How Can I Keep Safe When Swimming?

Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in the world, leading to more than 370,000 deaths each year. On average in the United States, 10 people per day die of drowning and many others are injured in a swimming pool.

Staying safe is largely a matter of being aware—being aware of your abilities (or the abilities of your children) and being aware of what’s around you in the pool or other body of water. There are also other steps you should take to ensure everyone stays safe when swimming.

Swimming Safety Basics

• Closely supervise children at all times around water.
• Have an adult within arm’s length of any inexperienced swimmer.
• Install a fence at least four feet high around all sides of a pool.
• Keep rescue equipment and a phone nearby when in the water.
• Make sure kids and adults have swimming lessons at the earliest stage possible.

How Can I Stay Safe When Boating?

Swimming isn’t the only occasion when water safety is an issue. In fact, around 20 boating fatalities occur each year on Tennessee waterways.

So it’s important to brush up on basic boating safety guidelines, too, to ensure everyone remains safe when out on the water. Some of the precautions above apply—if anyone is in the water and swimming, it’s important to also heed swimming safety guidelines.

Boating Safety Basics

• Make sure someone on the boat knows how to perform CPR.
• Avoid alcohol.
• Perform a safety check before leaving shore to ensure the boat is fully operational.
• Wear life jackets.
• Teach kids to avoid contact with propellers.
• Stay aware of the weather and exit the water in the case of inclement weather.

In need of medical care? Stop by AFC Urgent Care Spring Hill for a diagnosis and treatment plan.