[For Parents] Please read this before playing in the water. The real reasons why children drown and how to prevent it

Speaking of summer, it's time for water play!
Pools, the ocean, rivers—

It's the best season for children!

But every summer,
we see news about water accidents involving children.

"It won't happen to my child"
"I was watching them properly"—

Even if you think that, drowning happens in an instant.
It really happens in an instant.

Actually, drowning is completely different from the image in movies and dramas.
They almost never wave their hands wildly and call for help loudly.

They sink quietly, without anyone noticing.

Just knowing that can make this a summer where you keep your child safe!

Why are children prone to drowning?

"I was watching them properly"
"It was only shallow"—

After water accidents, we sometimes hear these words.
But in fact, there is a clear reason for children's drowning.

1. The "moment" you look away is the most dangerous
Among drowning accidents involving children 4 years old and under,
about 70% occur while parents are looking awayfrom them.

"Just for a second"
"I'll be right back"—

In those few dozen seconds, they can drown.

A person who is drowning cannot scream.
Because they are using all their energy just to breathe.

The fact that they had already sunk by the time someone noticed
is really happening😰


2. The "calmer the river," the more dangerous it is
Actually, more children's water accidents occur in rivers than in the ocean!
For adults, accidents in the ocean are the most common,
but for children, rivers are by far the most common.

"It's shallow and the current is calm, so it's fine"—
That is a truly dangerous misunderstanding.

Rivers have non-constant currents due to the terrain,
and there are places where the current is faster than it looks or
places that suddenly become deep.


3. Children's bodies are more prone to drowning than adults'
Many people don't know this, but
due to their body structure, children are more likely to sink in water.

○ Their head is large relative to their body, and their center of gravity is high
→ They end up sinking head-first
○ They lose physical strength quickly

Even at a water depth that an adult thinks is "still okay,"
it can be more than deep enough for a child.

Drowning risks for children by location

🛁 Bathtub (Most common for infants!)
You might think, "Not in our home bathtub."

But4 years old and underthe most common place for fatal drowning accidents is,
in fact, the home bathtub.

Moreover,about 6 times more than accidents in pools, rivers, or the ocean!

Most of the causes happen during the time
when you "looked away for just a little bit."

You stepped out first to get changed,
the phone rang—

Please don't look away, even for those few dozen seconds!


🏞️ River (Most common for elementary school students and older!)
The most common place for outdoor water accidents involving children
is not the ocean, but the river!

Rivers haveplaces where the current is faster than it looksand
places that suddenly become deepdue to the terrain.

🌊 Ocean (Increases rapidly in summer!)
Accidents in the ocean increase all at once when summer comes.

Waves and rip currentsare risks that don't exist in rivers.

Especially since rip currents can carry you offshore without you noticing,
it is dangerous even for children who are good swimmers.

Conclusion

In this article, I wrote about things like "the dangers of drowning" and "places where it is likely to occur by age"!

I will summarize specific details about rivers and the ocean
in another article!

Water play can be the best summer memory for a child.
But to ensure that, you must not let an accident happen.

Just by keeping the knowledge you learned today in the back of your mind,
the probability of protecting those memories will increase significantly!

There is one thing I want you to be conscious of this summer.

"Do not look away"—
There are accidents that can be prevented with just that.

Let's both have a safe and fun summer😊