Summer in Texas gets hot—dangerously so. Many days, particularly because kids are on summer break, are best spent in the water. While the thrills of splashing around in the summer months create some of the best memories, increased time in the water makes water safety a crucial topic of conversation.
Dangers in the Water
A June news report warns that 50 kids have died due to drowning already this year. Much of summer break is still ahead of us and, therefore, so is a real threat that more lives will be lost in the water.
Of course, parents and other sources of supervision can help protect kids from drowning. Understanding the dangers is a helpful first step. Fatality numbers show that pools are the most dangerous bodies of water. More than half of the year’s drownings happened in pools. Does that mean we should keep our kids away from pools to avoid these fatal accidents?
It Is Appropriate to Expect Safe Public Pool Conditions
It wouldn’t be realistic (and would be a major bummer for kids) to avoid pools entirely. Swimming, when done in a safe environment, is a fun and healthy activity. The last thing kids today need is one more reason to not be active.
Parents carry much of the responsibility to ensure the safety of their kids at pools, but there are other possible sources of fatal negligence that fall out of parents’ purview of care:
- Did a lifeguard on duty at the pool fail to give proper care to a drowning victim?
- Was a lifeguard not properly trained to be there and, therefore, unable to provide proper assistance?
- Was the pool adequately maintained? A condition of the pool might have endangered a victim and contributed to the accident.
- Were pool drains safe, according to state and/or federal law? Some drains can create dangerous suction around them, endangering kids or others who might not be the strongest swimmers.
A parent or other caregiver will immediately and forever feel some heartbreaking guilt when a child drowns under their supervision. But there are laws and safety expectations in place to try to provide a more fully safe swimming environment for our kids, for all of us.
Let a Wrongful Death Attorney Blow the Whistle
Like the powerful force of water, the forces of sadness and guilt can be paralyzing. A drowning accident happens so quickly and impacts friends and family so deeply. Work with a wrongful death lawyer who will help pull you out of the overwhelming emotions and identify how the loss of your loved one might have been the result of outside negligence.
