Keys to child-drowning prevention described by Mesa officials

For Mesa parents, taking their children to the pool is a longstanding pastime during hot weather. Whether it be a private pool in one’s backyard or the local public pool, going out for a swim is an activity beloved by many.

However, such a pastime carries with it risks. According to an Arizona Department of Health Sciences report, 31 children from birth to age 17 in Arizona died in a fatal drowning incident in the year 2023, which makes up 3% of all child deaths that year. A total of 71% of child drowning deaths in Arizona in 2023 also occurred in children less than 5 years of age.

The leading risk factors for child drowning deaths were lack of supervision with 87%, inability to swim with 68%, and lack of pool barrier with 58%. The report says multiple risk factors can be identified in a drowning death.

These leading risk factors are part of why the ABCs of drowning prevention - adult supervision, barriers and classes - are so important. Each of the three steps help to mitigate the risk of drowning among a child.

Meghan Chute, fire and life safety education specialist at the Mesa Fire and Medical Department, teaches classes on water safety at local schools and to parents as well. She spoke on why adult supervision is necessary whether it be a private or public pool.

“If I am watching my children in the water, then there’s very little chance that my child will be injured. It’s important that we know that when we’re watching our children in the water, we are always focused on the pool and on our kids. We should not be on our phones or reading a book because those are distractions,” Chute said. “We think that drowning is going to be loud and the children are going to be loud and they’re going to be calling for help, but a lot of times it’s silent when they fall under the water and you might not realize it until it’s too late.”

But there will be times where supervision may not be possible, especially in the case of a private at-home pool where there’s a chance of children slipping outside and falling into the water without noticing. That’s why barriers are important. A barrier can be anything from physical fencing around the water, or a motion detector system that notifies the parent when a child falls into the water.

Yvonne Taylor, the aquatics program supervisor for the city of Mesa, spoke on why barriers or other preventative devices are necessary.

“When we’re talking about barriers, that can include fencing at private pools or signage at public pools,” Taylor said. “Any kind of water disturbance device or motion detector for home pools is a good idea so if somebody falls in accidentally, those devices go off...there are several incidents where children have drowned in their own home by simply climbing up over a chair to get over the fence and getting in because children love the water. So it’s our job as adults to try to figure out how to put as many barriers into that as possible.”

Last but not least are classes. Teaching children to swim, especially at a young age, will help them learn how to swim with assistance, swim independently, and what to do when you fall in the water unexpectedly. These classes are not only important for children, but for their parents as well.

Lana Whitehead, president and owner of SWIMkidsUSA in Mesa, teaches classes to both children and parents on swimming, with the classes teaching different levels of swimming based on the age group. She stresses that it is not only important for parents to learn to supervise their children while they are swimming, but also for parents to learn CPR.

“You need to teach kids what is going to happen when they go into the water and what they need to do to save themselves. When they fall in, they don’t have any. It’s a strange environment,” Whitehead said. “You must be within a touch supervision, which means you’re within an arm’s length of the children at any given time protecting them from going under or falling into the water from the steps or side. You should always learn CPR just in case an accident occurs. You’re preparing your child and preparing yourself for entering the water and what to do if there’s an accident.”

If all three of the ABCs of drowning prevention are followed, it will help to mitigate the risk factors that are commonly associated with child drowning deaths, making for a safer time for children everywhere.