Memorial Day Water Safety Tips

• Take a water safety course to learn more about pool safety and how to prevent swimming accidents.
  
• Make sure all members of your family know how to swim.
  
• Find out about your state and community laws and regulations for residential pools.
  
• Never let anyone swim alone in your pool.
  
• Use buoyed lines to mark depth changes from shallow to deep, and post depth markers.
  
• Post the rules for your pool and enforce them without exception.
  
• Have a telephone near the pool with emergency numbers posted.
  
• Properly fence and secure the area to prevent people from entering with out your knowledge and to keep out children, who may be drawn to the water.
  
• Store pool chemicals out of children’s reach and in clearly labeled childproof containers.
  
• Make sure your neighbors and their children know when the pool is off limits.
  
• Make sure your homeowner’s insurance policy covers the pool.

• The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim.
  
• Select a supervised area for swimming. A trained lifeguard who can help in an emergency is the best safety factor. Even good swimmers can have an unexpected medical emergency in the water. Never swim alone.
  
• Select an area that is clean and well-maintained. A clean bathhouse, clean restrooms and a litter-free environment show the management’s concern for your health and safety.
  
• Select an area that has good water quality and safe, natural conditions. Murky water, hidden underwater objects, unexpected drop-offs, and aquatic plant life are hazards. Water pollution can cause health problems for swimmers. Strong tides, big waves and currents can turn the event into a tragedy.
  
• Make sure the water is deep enough before entering headfirst. Many swimmers are seriously injured every year by entering headfirst into water that is too shallow. A feet-first entry is much safer than diving.
  
• Be sure rafts and docks are safe. A well-run, open-water facility maintains its rafts and docks in good condition with no loose boards or exposed nails. Never swim under a raft or dock. Always look before jumping off a dock or raft to be sure no one is in the way.
  
• Avoid drainage ditches. Drainage ditches for water run-off are not good places for swimming or playing in the water. After heavy rains, they can quickly change into ranging rivers that can easily take a human life. Even the strongest swimmers are no match for the power of the water. Fast water and debris in the current make ditches very dangerous.

• Know how to swim.
  
• Obey boating regulations.
  
• Carry all required and recommended safety equipment, including a Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person on board, sound-signaling devices, visual distress signaling devices, a throw bag and a first aid kit.
  
• Know proper first aid.
  
• Check the local weather report before heading out. Respect the weather. If caught in a storm, immediately head for shelter.
  
• Don’t overload your boat.
  
• Position passengers and crew properly to prevent falls and injuries.
  
• Alcohol and boating don’t mix. Even a little alcohol can be dangerous. Don’t endanger yourself, or your family and friends.