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HOUSTON – As Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, families across the Houston area are heading to pools, beaches, and lakes. Still, safety experts say now is the time to focus on water safety.
According to pediatricians, drowning remains one of the leading causes of death for young children, and many incidents happen quickly and quietly.
“It’s a silent thing,” said Dr. Tiffany Nguyen, a pediatrician with Texas Children’s Pediatrics. “A lot of times, what you see is you don’t hear, right? It’s a very quiet, subtle thing that if you’re not aware, you will not know.”
Doctors say summer is considered the highest-risk season for child drownings. Last year alone, more than 100 children drowned, while many others suffered near-drownings and severe neurological complications.
Nguyen encourages families to remember what she calls the “Three S’s” of water safety:
- Swim lessons
- Structural barriers like fences and alarms
- Supervision
Parents are also being encouraged to learn CPR and eliminate distractions like phones and alcohol while children are in or near the water.
Taylor, a Houston-area mother, said she enrolled her 7-year-old daughter, Brecken, in swim lessons at a young age to help build confidence around water.
“Swim lessons are not drown-proof, but they do provide a foundational skillset that’s very, very important,” Taylor said. “It gives children the confidence they need in the water to stay safe at least until an adult can provide some support.”
Brecken said practicing in the water helped her become more comfortable swimming.
“You have to practice,” she said. “The more that you do it, the more it gets easier.”
Experts stress that even children who know how to swim still require close adult supervision around water at all times.
“No child is ever fully drown-proof,” Nguyen said.
Safety experts say preparation is key, and conversations about water safety should happen before children ever get near the pool this summer.