EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) is reminding parents to watch their kids around water inside and outside as the summer season is approaching.
DFPS says there were 103 children who drowned in Texas last year, two in El Paso. One child drowned in a bathtub, and another child drowned in a backyard pool.
As of May 22, 19 children throughout the state have died in a drowning incident this year, none in El Paso, DFPS said.
Of those 19 children, nine drowned in various types of pools, four drowned in bathtubs, three drowned in creeks, two drowned in ponds, and one child drowned in a river, DFPS says.
DFPS says drowning is a leading cause of death among infants, toddlers, and young children.
DFPS has also provided a list of safety guidelines for watching children who are around water. Those tips are the following:
Inside the house
- Never leave small children alone near any container of water.
- Keep bathroom doors closed and secure toilet lids with lid locks.
- Never leave a baby alone in a bath for any reason. Get the things you need before running water, and take the child with you if you must leave the room.
- Warn babysitters or caregivers about the dangers of water and stress the need to constantly supervise young children.
- Make sure small children cannot leave the house through pet doors or unlocked doors and reach pools or hot tubs.
Outside the house
- Never leave children alone around water, whether it is in a pool, wading pool, drainage ditch, creek, pond, or lake.
- Constantly watch children who are swimming or playing in water. They need an adult or certified lifeguard watching and within reach.
- Secure access to swimming pools with fences, self-closing and latching gates, and water surface alarms.
- Completely remove the pool cover when the pool is in use.
- Store water toys away from the water when not in use, so they don’t attract a small child.
- Don’t assume young children will use good judgment around water.
- Be ready for emergencies. Keep emergency telephone numbers handy and learn CPR.
- Find out if your child’s friends or neighbors have pools.
“Parents can also take additional preventative safety measures, such as securing water areas by installing fences or latching gates around hot tubs, pools, or fountains. Back doors and pet doors should always be kept locked to prevent children from finding their way to a pool or hot tub. Pool alarms can also be used to detect surface waves to alert parents to a child or pet falling in the water. And for children who don’t know how to swim, check with local resources for swimming lessons. Also, as a parent, if you don’t know how to swim, take lessons with your children, making it a fun family activity,” DFPS said.
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