The American Red Cross-Knoxville Area Chapter encourages
you and your family to read and use these tips to help
keep you safe in and around the water. For more information
on staying safe year-round, call your American Red Cross
at (865) 584-2999.
Boating
- Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay
safe in and around the water is to learn to swim. This
includes anyone participating in any boating activity.
The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people
of any age and swimming ability. To enroll in a swim
course, contact your American Red Cross chapter.
- Alcohol and boating don't mix. Alcohol impairs your
judgment, balance, and coordination -- over 50 percent
of drownings result from boating incidents involving
alcohol. For the same reasons it is dangerous to operate
an automobile while under the influence of alcohol,
people should not operate a boat while drinking alcohol.
- Look for the label: Use Coast Guard-approved life
jackets for yourself and your passengers when boating
and fishing.
- Develop a float plan. Anytime you go out in a boat,
give a responsible person details about where you will
be and how long you will be gone. This is important
because if the boat is delayed because of an emergency,
becomes lost, or encounters other problems, you want
help to be able to reach you.
- Find a boating course in your area (Red Cross, U.S.
Power Squadron, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, US Sailing,
etc) -- these courses teach about navigation rules,
emergency procedures and the effects of wind, water
conditions, and weather.
- Watch the weather: Know local weather conditions and
prepare for electrical storms. Watch local news programs.
Stop boating as soon as you see or hear a storm.
Keeping Children
Safe In, On, and Around the Water
- Maintain constant supervision. Watch children around
any water environment (pool, stream, lake, tub, toilet,
bucket of water), no matter what skills your child has
acquired and no matter how shallow the water.
- Don't rely on substitutes. The use of flotation devices
and inflatable toys cannot replace parental supervision
. Such devices could suddenly shift position, lose air,
or slip out from underneath, leaving the child in a
dangerous situation.
- Enroll children in a water safety course or Learn
to Swim program. Your decision to provide your child
with an early aquatic experience is a gift that will
have infinite rewards. These courses encourage safe
practices. You can also purchase a Community Water Safety
manual at your American Red Cross .
- Parents should take a CPR course. Knowing these skills
can be important around the water and you will expand
your capabilities in providing care for your child.
You can contact your local Red Cross to enroll in a
CPR for Infants and Child course.
|
