By Eric Lupton, Safety Advocate and Life Saver Pool Fence PresidentAn average of 290 children under the age of five drown in pools and spas every year. In 69% of those drownings, a parent was responsible for supervising the child and most occurred when a child was thought to be in the house but slipped outside without anyone knowing. In 77% of accidental drownings, the child had been seen 5 minutes or less before being missed and eventually found in the pool.Supervision can and does fail, and which is why safety advocates urge families to use layers of protection before, during and after pool parties.
Before the Party
Check your pool safety fence
Close doggy doors
Install locks on all doors and windows
Learn CPR
During the Party
Assign Water Watchers
- Sit close to the pool so you can see everything
- Give your phone to a friend so you are not tempted to take photos
- No books, magazines, or tablets
- Do a regular headcount
- Step in when there is too much horsing around
Know the signs of drowning
- Head low in the water, mouth at water level
- Head tilted back with mouth open
- Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
- Eyes closed
- Hair over forehead or eyes
- Body is upright and vertical, but there is no leg kick
- Hyperventilating or gasping
- Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway
- Trying to roll over on the back
- Appear to be climbing an invisible ladder
Consider child immersion alarms
After the Party

1.Remove toys after swimming
After the party is over, remove all toys, floats, balloons, or food. Children who are in pursuit of a toy won’t think twice about breaking the rules to get it, so you should never leave objects in the pool that could attract a child to the water.Check the fence
Set your alarms