INSIDE INFORMATION
COMPILED BY ANNA LOTZ
“Children are drawn to the water; they’re naturally curious about it. And we set them up to think that it’s fun. But in reality, it’s so dangerous. The most dangerous thing to a child under 4 years old is water.”
Drowning is a quiet and quick event—happening in as little as 30 seconds—said Jenny Bennett, a trauma nurse at HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball who founded drowning-prevention orga- nizations SwimSafe Forever Northwest Houston and Parents Preventing Childhood Drowning. Bennett’s son, Jackson, drowned in the family’s pool at 18months old in 2016. Childhood drown- ing can happen to any family, she said. However, there are several steps parents in Tomball and Magnolia can take to prevent drowning accidents. Summer water safety Drowning is the leading cause of accidental deaths for ages 1-4 in Texas and the U.S. Drowning data 12% Texas accounted for of drownings in the U.S. for ages 1-4 in 2017. #2 Texas was in the U.S. with 51 toddler drownings in 2017. As of early June, there were a total of 7 drownings in Harris County. 10 drownings in Montgomery County.
— JENNY BENNETT, FOUNDER OF SWIM SAFE FOREVER NORTHWEST HOUSTON AND PARENTS PREVENTING CHILDHOOD DROWNING
Steps to take There are a number of ways parents can help reduce the risk of childhood drownings.
Barriers include fencing at least 4 feet high on all sides of a pool with a self-latching gate, door locks, alarms and pool covers. 1 Install barriers to prevent access to pool areas. These classes teach young children how to roll onto their backs and float to continue breathing in an aquatic emergency. 2 Enroll in survival swimming classes. Life jackets should be U.S. Coast Guard approved. Avoid using other flotation devices, such as inflatable rings, in any area of water as they give children a false sense of security. 3 Wear a life jacket near natural bodies of water. Adults should take turns as water watchers, one who is solely focused on watching the children in or near the water. 4 Designate a water watcher.
Drowning accounted for the largest number of accidental deaths for ages 1-4 in Texas in 2013 , 2016 and 2017.
Accidental deaths Drownings
Texas (2017) U.S. (2017)
Drownings: 51
Accidental deaths: 139
A child who weighs less than 30 lbs can drown in 30 sec ds.
Drownings: 424
Accidental deaths: 1,267
SOURCES:CENTERSFORDISEASECONTROLANDPREVENTION, JENNYBENNETT, MONTGOMERYCOUNTYHOSPITALDISTRICT/COMMUNITY IMPACTNEWSPAPER
LOcal Resources Local groups offer educational materials, survival swimming instructors and CPR classes to aid in drowning prevention throughout the Tomball and Magnolia areas. This list is noncomprehensive.
SOURCES: JENNYBARRETT,AMERICANACADEMYOFPEDIATRICS/COMMUNITY IMPACTNEWSPAPER
CPR classes
Times and cost vary.
Infant s vival swimming
Educati al res rces
America’s ERMedical Centers 32784 FM 2978, Magnolia • 281-789-3400 www.americaser.com Upcoming dates: July 10, 24; Aug. 14, 21, 28 Roxell EMT 19221 I-45 S., Ste. 130, Shenandoah • 281-372-6640 www.roxellemt.com Upcoming dates: July 15-17, 22-23, 27, 29-31; Aug. 7 TheWoodlands Emergency Training Center 16135 I-45 S., Conroe • 281-210-5820 www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov Upcoming dates: July 11, 13, 16, 25, 27; Aug. 1, 3
Infant Aquatics www.infantaquatics.com
Judah Brown Project* 832-618-6382 www.judahbrownproject.org Parents Preventing Childhood Drowning www.parentspreventingchildhooddrowning.com SwimSafe Forever Northwest Houston Chapter* www.swimsafeforever.org/nw-houston-tx-chapter
Infant Swimming Resource** www.infantswim.com
**Two ISR instructors are currently offering classes in The Woodlands-Spring area Life Saver Survival Swim 832-366-3008 www.lifesaversurvivalswim.com
*Offers scholarships to area children for survival swimming lessons
The JohnCooper School C oope r
TICKETS ON SALE ONLINE JULY 1
The vision set forth in our formative years remains the same today - to provide a challenging education in a caring environment for students to become critical and creative thinkers, effective communicators, responsible citizens and leaders, and lifetime learners. Join us on campus to learn more about our Pre-K through Grade 12 school. Admission tours are available by appointment. A RECOGNIZED LEADER IN PK-12 EDUCATION FOR 30 YEARS
WWW.JOHNCOOPER.ORG | 281.367.0900
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The Woodlands edition • July 2019
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