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Water Safety for Children | |||||
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For children ages 14 and under, the number-one health risk isn't drugs or disease: it's injuries. Water Safety: Drownings can occur during swimming, boating, hunting and fishing, and even while taking a bath. Some Water Safety Examples: Do –  Swim only if there is a lifeguard, or if an adult is present. Take swimming lessons. Swim with a buddy. Wade into the water feet first if you're swimming in a lake, pond or river. Wear a personal flotation device (PFD) when you are in a boat. (Michigan boating requirements are for children under 6, water skiers, and anyone using personal watercraft (PWC).
Get out of water right away if you hear thunder or see lightning.
Check with a grown-up before playing or skating on ice.Do Not – Stand up in a boat. Swim if you are tired. Eat candy or chew gum when you are swimming. Dive off piers or rocks. Run around a swimming pool, dock or pier.Many enjoy our beautiful lakes in rivers in our surrounding area such as the Muskegon River. But as we know, drownings can happen quickly. So water should be treated with great respect. The current of the Muskegon River in Big  |
Rapids is one of the fastest and most powerful rivers in the lower Peninsula of Michigan. The speed of the current can quickly change from a slow swirl, which is fun to play in-to a much faster speed in a short distance. The depth of water can also change very quickly from a nice wading depth to "over your head". This combination of a changing and powerful current depth, make it very possible to be swept over your head even if you are only wading up to your waist-especially if you are a light weight child. If you are not a strong and experienced swimmer, you should wear a life jacket whenever you play in or on the Muskegon River. Using Floatation:  A PFD (personal floating device) helps you float and it can save your life if you fall in the water by mistake. PFDs add buoyancy to your body (allow you to float), hold your head and body higher in the water so you can see better, and help keep your body warm. But remember, air-filled swimming aids such as inner tubes, water-wings, and inflatable rafts are not substitutes for approved PFDs. Children using air-filled swimming aids should always be supervised by an adult within arm's reach. The best way for your children to understand the importance of PFDs is to show them. Visit a pool (public, residential or hotel), lake or beach with your children. Have |
 them float on their backs - see how long they can float before getting tired. Then, repeat the exercise wearing a PFD (follow manufacturer's instructions on proper wear of the PFD). Ask your children if the PFD made it easier to float and see what's going on around them. Explain to your children what a PFD is and why wearing one is so important when boating, jet-skiing, tubing, or water-skiing. Call your local American Red Cross chapter for more information on U.S. Coast Guard-approved PFDs, or visit their Web site at www.redcross.org.Alcohol also is a major contributor to drowning and boating accidents. You need to be alert and make good decisions when tubing, boating, or swimming. Do not drink while enjoying the water.  There are many broken bottles on the bottom of the river, and stepping on one can cause serious cuts, so be sure to wear some type of shoes or thick soled sandal if you swim or wade. If you see a glass container in or near the river, please pick it up and throw it in a garbage can so it is not thrown in the river.Remember-in the winter, do not go on the ice of the Muskegon River anywhere in Big Rapids. It is extremely dangerous. There are also many snag-like branches under the surface of the water. Stay away from them because if your foot gets caught, the current can pull even a strong swimmer below the water. | ||||
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Copyright 2006, Mecosta County Medical Center