Drown Prevention

Bucky on Parade. 5/18/18 dwm

In 2021, the United Nations chose July to observe Global Drowning Prevention Day. The United States recognizes it July 25th.

Long-time readers may recall I've nearly drowned twice. 

The first time was age four. Our family was taking my aunt to college in Nebraska. At a hotel our family went to the pool. I was in the wading pool. Somehow, I fell or crawled on the deck and fell in the water. Dad pulled me out.

That's the beginning of my fear of water and a big reason I didn't know how to swim.

Before I headed to high school, I took swim class at the YMCA. I learned how to swim, I didn't learn how to be comfortable.

The second time was in high school, which you can read about here. It it weren't for a couple of classmates, I literally may not have survived sophomore year.

Every year more than 260,000 people die by drowning. Most are children. More rural children drown than kids who grow up in the city. 

The best way to prevent drowning is to teach people how to swim. Life guards are critical in preventing deaths by drowning as is having appropriate barriers to keep people from unknowingly falling in. If you're on a boat, weat a life preserver.

During downpours, it means not driving through water when you don't know its depth. People drown in water where they could physically stand up, but conditions may make that impossible.

As adults, we need to look out for children and for others. If you can't swim, call for help if someone is in trouble, otherwise you're more likely to add to the tragedy.

Be careful out there, there's a lot of summer left.

Bucky Badger wore life guard attire when he was placed at the Goodman Pool in Madison. At the time, it bothered me that a lifeguard was wearing a life saving float but maybe he was just being careful. You can catch up with 2018''s "Bucky on Parade" here.