Newswise — Many kids narrowly escape drowning during summertime holiday celebrations held near water. Designating an adult water watcher could easily prevent those potential tragedies, says Dr. Steven Kernie, a pediatric critical care physician at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
"A lot of drownings happen at parties or social events where there are plenty of adults around - everybody assumes someone else is watching the water," Dr. Kernie says. "Know who is watching the swimmers."
Water watchers should also have immediate access to a telephone so they can call 911 in case an accident does occur. That means keeping the phone, if it's a cell phone, charged and within reach rather than in the car or indoors, Dr. Kernie says.
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