As Southwest Florida turns the page into the summer months, practicing safety around bodies of water is stressed as a way to prevent tragedy.

Year after year, Florida leads the nation when it comes to drowning deaths, especially involving children. Being “water smart” can help save a life this summer and year-round, officials said.

According to the American Red Cross Florida Gulf Coast Heartland Chapter, research shows that participation in formal water safety and swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88% for children ages 1 to 4.

“Before families head out to pools and parks, it’s important for all family members to learn and review critical water safety skills,” stated Jill Palmer, executive director of Florida Gulf Coast to Heartland Chapter. “Knowing fundamental Red Cross water safety skills will help you feel more prepared for fun outings in, on and around the water and help save lives.”

The Red Cross offers lifesaving aquatics programs for community members, serving 2.5 million individuals annually. Officials said these programs incorporate the latest science-based curriculum and industry best practices that help to keep families safer while enjoy popular water activities, especially in a state where water-based recreation is so popular.

“Preventing unsupervised access to water, providing constant, active adult supervision and knowing how to swim are critical layers of protection to help prevent drowning,” stated Connie Harvey, director of Aquatics Centennial and Survival Programs for the Red Cross.

The Red Cross offers the following safety tips for water activities this summer:

• Nobody should ever swim alone — adults and teens as well as children. Never leave a young child unattended near water, and do not trust a child’s life to another child.

• It’s best to always designate a “water watcher” who will keep a close eye and constant attention on children and weaker swimmers in, on and around water until the next water watcher takes over.

• Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone.

• Reach or throw, don’t go! In the event of an emergency, reach or throw an object to the person in trouble and tell them to grab on. Don’t go in! You could be in danger of drowning yourself.

The Florida Department of Health in Lee County offers some tips as well:

• If your child is missing, check other pools or surrounding bodies of water.

• Use barriers around water, including fences, self-closing/self-latching gates, and secure doors with alarms. Barriers help prevent young children from wandering into bodies of water, including lakes, pools, ponds, and more.

• Have a phone nearby in case you need to call 9-1-1 in an emergency.

The Red Cross recently revamped its Longfellow’s WHALE Tales Water Safety for Children program. The no-cost program is designed to help children from all backgrounds in kindergarten through fifth grade learn vital water safety behaviors without having to be in or near the water.

“We encourage families to educate themselves on safer water habits, to learn to swim and know how to handle emergencies,” Harvey said. “Our aquatic training providers offer swim education and classes for both children and adults. We recommend that you also learn first aid and CPR, so you’ll know what to do until help arrives.”

Visit redcross.org/watersafety for swim program information and a variety of resources. The Red Cross Swim app can help children and adults learn with kid-friendly video and activities on mobile devices.

According to the CDC, Florida ranked fifth in the U.S. for unintentional drowning deaths with an age-adjusted rate of 2.2 per 100,000 population for all ages in 2020.

According to the Florida Department of Health, from 2018 to 2020 combined, Florida was ranked the highest in the country for unintentional drowning death rates for children ages 1 to 4, and had the highest unintentional downing death rate among children 0 to 9.

Statistics from FDOH state that annually there are enough children under the age of 5 lost to drowning to fill three or four preschool classrooms.

FDOH’s “Water Safety Is Everyone’s Responsibility” initiative works to educate parents, caregivers and communities about drowning risks and prevention strategies along with how to be safe in and around the water.

“The campaign identifies layers of protection to increase water safety and reduce drownings: supervision, barriers, and preparedness,” officials stated.

More information is available at www.watersmartfl.com.