(Santa Ana, CA) – In preparation for summertime when many Orange County (OC) residents increase time spent at a favorite beach or pool, the OC Health Care Agency (HCA) encourages residents to attend Water Safety Challenge events on Saturday, May 20 at many local pools and beaches to make drowning prevention a key part of water activities.
At the Water Safety Challenge events, families will rotate through a series of stations designed to teach water safety skills. These include CPR, safe water rescue, and in-water skills for kids such as floating on their backs, treading water, swimming to the side of the pool, and more. These and other activities allow parents to evaluate a child’s swimming ability along with their strengths and weaknesses in the water.
Children and parents will also be instructed on the “ABCs” of water safety which are:
- Active Adult supervision
- Barriers around pools and spas
- Classes on swimming and CPR.
“Drowning is a leading cause of death for children under age five in Orange County,” said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, County Health Officer and Chief of Public Health Services. “Knowing the ABCs of water safety and other drowning prevention tips will help residents more easily remember ways to keep their children and loved ones safe around pools and beaches.”
The HCA along with the OC Drowning Prevention Coalition DrowningPreventionOC.org and the Jasper Ray Foundation https://jasperray.org/ sponsor the Water Safety Challenge and drowning prevention efforts in Orange County. Drowning consistently remains the leading cause of death for children 1-4 years of age, and among the top-five leading causes for those under the age of 18 years, both in Orange County and California. Each year, near drowning incidents also result in life-long disabilities. Drowning is also a risk for older adults, specifically those 50 and older, with drowning incidents among this age group more likely to result in fatalities.
Water Safety Challenges are being held in Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Mission Viejo, Orange and Tustin. For more information on locations and times, please visit https://drowningpreventionoc.org/water-safety-day-events/.
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