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Everything you need to know about a misleading term that takes the focus off real water dangers.
You may have seen postings on social media about “dry drowning,” stories about kids who seemed perfectly fine after getting out of a pool, ocean or lake and then, suddenly, as much as a day later, end up with breathing difficulties and die.
It’s terrifying – but the fact is that this kind of sudden “dry drowning” with no prior symptoms just doesn’t occur.
by Kaitlyn Recchiuti
On August 1, 2014, my beloved 27-year-old son “Benjo” drowned in the Bahamas while practicing for spearfishing. Benjo was extremely adventurous, artistic, outgoing and he had a great sense of humor. He was also an accomplished athlete; a state champion alpine skier, sailing instructor and SCUBA instructor with over 1,500 logged dives. The fact that he lived on top of and underneath the water for the better part of his shortened life made his death even more incomprehensible.
The calendar tells us that summer starts on June 21. But for me, summer starts on Memorial Day weekend, when I join aunts, uncles and cousins at the beach to open our old family cottage for the season.
Whatever your plans are for your family this summer -- barbecues, swimming and boating, camping and hiking, long family road trips -- Safe Kids is here with our top summer safety tips to help keep your adventures as safe as they are fun.
Q. I’m really excited for our family vacation to the beach this summer. I have two teenagers – a 13-year-old son and a 15-year-old daughter. Both are good, safe swimmers, who I trust in our backyard pool. Does that mean they should be fine in the ocean as well?
It’s great your kids are confident swimmers at home. While that experience is a good start at the ocean (or in other places like lakes), there are some important differences that you and your kids will want to talk about before everyone hits the beach.
Even during these challenging times, to many of us, Memorial Day is the official start of summer.
It’s a time to remember the people who gave so much for our country, a time to be with family and friends and a time to take a break and have some fun.
So while you relax and continue to adjust to a “new normal,” remember these tips to keep your family safe this Memorial Day and beyond.
How to Prevent Burns in the Kitchen
- Create a kid-free zone. Teach younger children to stay at least 3 feet away from your cooking space.
Today, as I write this, it is 93 degrees here in Washington, DC, and very warm in much of the rest of the country. This Friday, weather.com com says it’s going to be 95 in Kansas City, 98 in Little Rock and 92 in Houston.
We are all looking for ways to keep cool. And many of us are daydreaming about a cool swimming pool.
Watch and learn quick and helpful water safety tips in seconds!