Water safety tips to save a life

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Learn how to help keep children safe around swimming pools, wading pools, bathtubs and other water sources.

Drowning can happen in seconds and is often silent. Never leave a child unsupervised around water, including a pool, spa, bathtub, toilet or bucket of water.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 in the United States. Drowning is preventable, and close supervision, water safety skills and swim lessons can help reduce risk.

Lakewood offers swim lessons during the aquatics season. Use the city’s eCatalog to find current swim lesson dates, fees and registration details.

Find swim lessons in eCatalog

For questions or assistance with registration, please contact AccessRecreation@lakewoodca.gov or call 562-866-9771, ext. 2408.

Be a water watcher

A responsible teen or adult should be a designated water watcher anytime children are in or near a pool or other water source.

A water watcher should give children full attention, avoid distractions and stay close enough to respond quickly.

The city’s Save a Life event, typically held each July, may include water safety activities, swim lessons, CPR information, activity stations and life jacket fittings. Check the city’s eCatalog or recreation updates for current event information.

Check your pool environment

  • Install fencing with self-closing and self-latching gates around pools.
  • Lock doors and windows that lead to the pool area.
  • Consider alarms for doors, gates and pools.
  • Keep lifesaving equipment, such as ring buoys or reaching poles, near the pool and know how to use them.
  • Do not leave furniture near pool fencing where a child could climb over the fence.
  • Keep toys away from the pool when it is not in use. Toys can attract young children to the water.
  • Remove pool covers completely before swimming.

Teach children water safety rules

  • Learn to swim.
  • Never swim alone.
  • Ask permission before going near water.
  • Walk, do not run, near pools and wet surfaces.
  • If someone is in trouble, yell for help and reach or throw something that floats. Do not jump in after them unless you are trained to do so safely.
  • Keep a phone nearby so someone can call 911 in an emergency.
  • Make sure an adult water watcher is present and actively supervising children.
  • Weak or non-swimmers should wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket in and around water.

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