Ahead of two busy weekends book-ending the Fourth of July holiday, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services is reminding those caring for children to focus on supervision when kids are near the water.
Over the holiday and the surrounding weekends, families across Texas will enter pools, lakes and beaches and the DFPS wants remind parents and others watching children to remain extra-vigilant.
So far this year, 50 children have drowned in Texas and Tarrant County leads the state with seven of those deaths.
In Texas, 74 percent of children who drown are age 6 or younger and 58 percent are age 3 and younger. Two thirds of the drownings are boys and one third are girls, according to data shared by the DFPS obtained from WatchKidsAroundWater.org
Most of the drownings deaths occur in pools (28), ponds (7), bathtubs (6) and lakes (5).
Safety Tips
- Designate an adult to constantly watch children around water.
- Make sure the adult knows CPR and has a phone to dial 9-1-1.
- Teach your kids to swim.
- Keep weak swimmers and non-swimmers within arm’s reach. (They should wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets.)
- Do not consume alcohol while watching the kids around water.
- Avoid using electronic devices and social media while watching the kids.
