Drowning is a silent death: The 6 most important tips for children in the water

Drowning is one of the most common causes of accidents among children – in most cases, the supervisors are less than 10 meters away. Even the smallest water depths of 10 to 20 centimeters can be dangerous for small children, says Martin Eberl from the Upper Austria regional association of the Austrian Water Rescue Service (ÖWR). The reason: They cannot lift their heads themselves if they fall over or tip forward and go under water. Small children under 2 years of age in particular have a death feigning reflex, says Eberl. They lapse into a state of paralysis and drown completely silently without resisting.

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After just 3 to 4 minutes underwater, the lack of oxygen can lead to serious, irreparable physical damage. Older children who cannot yet swim well should also not be left unsupervised in the water – water wings and swimming rings do not protect against drowning, warns Eberl. Many victims cannot draw attention to their situation by shouting or waving. If you raise your arms, you immediately sink in the water and if you have no air to breathe, you cannot shout either.

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The most important tips for water rescue:

1. Let children never unattended near water. Earshot is not enough, always keep an eye on them. Small children must be supervised within reach, older children within sight.
2. Swimming aidssuch as swimming rings or water wings, offer no 100% protection against drowning.
3. Is a child disappearedfirst search in and around the water.
4. Paddling pools, bathtubs or similar should be cleaned after use emptied become.
5. Pools and swimming ponds should structural be secured by fences and covers.
6. The best protection is Learn to swim as early as possibleChildren can learn to swim a few meters in the water as early as 2 or 3 years old. Children should learn as early as possible how to save themselves by reaching the bank or the edge of the pool after falling into the water.