Water Safety Saves Lives: Simple Steps to Protect Children This Summer

As pools, lakes and backyard gatherings fill up across the Upstate this summer, public health officials are sharing an encouraging message for families. Nearly every drowning can be prevented, and a few simple habits go a long way toward keeping children safe around water.

That reminder carries weight this week after a young child drowned at an Anderson County birthday party Sunday night, one of two water deaths in the area over the weekend. The losses underscore why officials say now is the time for families to build safety routines, before the next pool day or lake trip.

Prevention Starts With Supervision

The most effective protections are also the simplest. State health officials say drowning deaths are largely preventable when families take the right precautions, and they want every resident prepared with the knowledge to stay safe in the water this season.

Focused supervision tops the list. The South Carolina Department of Public Health encourages families to name a Water Watcher, a single adult assigned to watch children during any time in the water until handing off the role to someone else. That approach keeps a dedicated set of eyes on the water at all times, even when several adults are nearby and conversation, phones or cooking can pull attention away.

Layered Steps That Reduce Risk

Officials point to a handful of additional measures that, used together, sharply lower the danger:

Keep children within sight and reach near any water, whether a pool, lake, pond or even inside the home.

Surround pools with four-sided fencing that stands at least 5 feet tall and uses gates that close and latch on their own.

Fit children with properly sized life jackets for boating or for swimming in open water.

Drain small wading pools right after use, then turn them over and store them where children cannot reach.

Sign children up for swim lessons, and learn CPR so care can begin in the crucial moments before help arrives.

Why Young Children Are Most at Risk

These habits matter because the youngest children face the greatest danger. Drowning was the top cause of death for children between ages 1 and 4 in South Carolina and across the country in 2022, the most recent year with complete figures. Officials note that drowning often happens fast and without a sound, which is exactly why supervision and prevention make such a difference.

Reason for Optimism

There is also good news worth sharing. South Carolina has seen its rate of nonfatal drowning-related emergency visits edge down over recent years, slipping from 4.5 per 100,000 residents in 2019 to 4.2 per 100,000 in 2023. Public health leaders tie that progress to wider awareness and stronger water safety education, and they say every family that adopts these habits adds to the trend.

For families across the Upstate, the message heading into the heart of summer is a hopeful one. Water should be a source of fun and lifelong memories, and with a few consistent precautions, families can keep it that way.