• Never leave a child unsupervised in or around water in the home.  Empty all containers immediately after use and store out of reach.
• Never leave a child unsupervised in or around a swimming pool or spa, even for a moment.  Never rely on a PFD or swimming lessons to protect a child.  Learn CPR and keep rescue equipment, a telephone and emergency numbers poolside.
• Install four-sided isolation fencing, at least five feet high and equipped with self-closing and self-latching gates, around a home pool or spa.  Fencing should completely surround swimming pools or spas and prevent direct access from a house or yard. Never prop open the gate to a pool barrier or leave toys in and around the pool. 
• Always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved PFD when on a boat, near open bodies of water or when participating in water sports.  Air-filled swimming aids, such as “water wings,” are not considered safety devices and are not substitutes for PFDs.
• Never dive into water less than nine feet deep.
• Children ages 14 and under should never operate a personal watercraft.
• If a child is missing, always check the pool first — there’s no time to spare.
• Enroll your kids in swimming lessons taught by a certified instructor, but don’t assume swimming lessons make your child “drownproof.” There is no substitute for active supervision.

If you or someone you know has been injured or killed in a drowning or near drowning incident, contact a Florida accidental drowning attorney at Hannon & Boyers today.

* Prevention Tips provided by Safe Kids USA.