Keep safe while enjoying water activities
Swimming, boating, jumping waves — if one of these activities describes what you like to do, read on!
Water activities can brighten a warm sunny day, but they also can surprise you with possible deadly consequences. The best way to enjoy your time in the water is to be smart and prepare for the "what-ifs" in a variety of water scenarios.
Rivers, lakes and ocean
"People should never underestimate the effects of cold water," said Kelly Owen, an emergency room and injury prevention nurse with Salem Hospital Trauma Services.
"Hypothermia can set in within a couple of minutes," Owen said. "If you go whitewater rafting and get thrown out of the raft, the first thing you do is gasp from hitting the cold water. People commonly then panic, quickly get cold and lose their senses."
According to Safe Kids Oregon, Oregon is unique in the frequency of drowning deaths in water bodies fed by snowmelt, which includes most cold-running rivers found in the state.
"Life jackets are also important for young swimmers and especially teens when dealing with deceptive river currents or sneaker waves at the beach," Owen said. "Kids can quickly get into trouble when they overestimate their swimming ability and underestimate the power of water."
Owen said every summer Salem Hospital commonly sees patients arrive by ambulance at the emergency room with severe neck or spinal injuries.
"People often get seriously hurt when they dive into shallow water or hit their head on a submerged rock," she said.
Swimming pools
Even calm waters hold risk. A recent study found 34 percent of drowning deaths in Oregon children 15 years old and younger happened in swimming pools. Children younger than 3 are six times more likely to drown in a swimming pool.
"I believe drowning cases and near drownings are 100 percent preventable," Owen said.
Owen said most drownings involving children happen when they are unsupervised, and many times parents can lose track of who is responsible for keeping an eye on the kids.
That's why Safe Kids USA developed the Water Watcher card (find it online at bit.ly/1mpOw5t). It's a tool designed to encourage active supervision whenever children are in or near water.
Active supervision means someone is designated and responsible to constantly keep eyes on a child, without distractions such as answering the phone, texting, talking or reading a book.
Adults agree to share this responsibility and pass the card to another adult within designated time periods, such as every 15 minutes.
Water safety
Whether you are at the beach with your kids, at a pool or at a nearby lake, make it common practice to have a life jacket on when you are near the water. Consider a life jacket your essential swimsuit accessory.
If you go boating, Oregon law requires boaters to have enough life vests for everyone on board, and ages 12 and younger are required to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket at all times when the boat is under way.
Safe Kids Willamette Valley, the local coalition of Safe Kids USA, encourages all families to consider enrolling children in swimming lessons. Swim lessons will teach children not only how to tread water but also how to stay float and keep close to shore.
Learn more
Aug. 2: Salem Health and Safe Kids Willamette Valley will host a booth at the Family Building Blocks' Riverfront Family Fest from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Riverfront Park in Salem.
Online: You can find more information about children's water safety and find a Water Watcher card at safekidsoregon.org.