News

Actions

Lexington fire battalion chief gives water safety tips for Independence Day

water safety boater safety safety
Posted at 6:56 PM, Jun 29, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-29 19:03:41-04

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — With Independence Day weekend around the corner, Lexington Fire battalion chief Jordan Saas gave LEX18 a few water safety tips to keep in mind:

  • take the time to teach everyone in the family to swim
  • learn CPR
  • closely watch children
  • stay sober
  • look before jumping into water

"It's important that you stay sober. It's important that you always supervise kids and it's always important to never swim alone," Saas said.

Lifeguard staff at Shillito Park also recommend using child flotation devices that use foam instead of air. They said that's because an air-filled device could pop and potentially cause a child to panic or drown.

According to the CDC, nearly 4,000 people unintentionally drown every year in the country, which is an average of 11 deaths every day.

Children ages one to four have the highest drowning rates, according to their data. Most drownings for children in that age range happen in swimming pools.