Child Water Safety Tips

Swimming season is in full swing in Ohio, and experts say it’s important children be taught basic water safety. Doctor Sarah Denny at Children's Hospital in Columbus says there were at least 11 reported drownings of children younger than age 15 in Ohio last year.

Denny says all children should have basic water safety skills. Formal swim lessons for children as young as age one have been shown to prevent drowning. She says infants can drown in as little as two inches of water, so be extra vigilant when a child is playing in an inflatable wading pool.

Denny recommends enclosing larger backyard pools. And she says drownings in natural bodies of water are more common in children.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says two-thirds of drowning deaths of children under the age of 15 occur between May and August, with the majority happening on weekends.