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No child should drown, and with the right water safety education accidental drownings are preventable.
The number of child drowning deaths in England has doubled over the last four years, with 90% of recent drownings occurring when the child was unsupervised.
Children are naturally curious and often drawn to water, whether it’s a pool, beach, or even a garden pond. As a parent, understanding water safety and teaching it to your children can make all the difference.
At home, younger children are most likely to drown in the bath or garden pond. It’s important to understand the risks of babies and young children being left alone, even for a moment. You may get no warning that something is wrong, as babies drown silently in very little water.
While bath seats can be a useful tool in helping busy parents at bathtime, it’s important to remember they’re just a support, and NOT a safety device.
Water safety in the bath:
- Get everything you need ready before bath time.
- Stay with your baby or young child all the time they’re in the bath. Keep them in arm’s reach.
- Remember bath seats can topple or your baby can slip out. Don’t leave your baby alone in one even for a moment.
- Don’t rely on your toddler to keep an eye on the baby while you pop out for a towel. They’re too young to understand the danger.
Water safety in the garden:
- Empty the paddling pool out after you’ve used it
- Turn a pond into a sandpit, or fence it in or cover it while your children are little
- Make sure your child can’t get to the neighbour’s pond
- Be alert to ponds, pools or hot tubs when visiting other people’s homes
Children under 8:
Children under 8 still need to be actively supervised in and around water. They might understand safety instructions but are likely to forget in the heat of the moment. Remember that children don’t cry out for help and wave to be rescued. Instead they disappear under the surface of the water, often unseen.
- Take them to safe places to learn to swim, like public pools and beaches with lifeguards.
- If they’re in an unguarded pool, for example on holiday, stay close by, keep your eye on them and act fast to get them out of trouble.
For more information on how to keep your child safe in and around water;
Child drowning prevention: Water safety for kids
