Through the eyes of a lifeguard: It's a common trope that intelligence and common sense don’t always go hand-in-hand. One surprising arena where this discrepancy becomes evident is water safety.
Drowning Facts:
Leading Cause: Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children aged 1 to 4 and remains a significant threat for young people up to 14 years of age.
Annual Statistics: Approximately 400 people drown in Canada each year, with 64% of these incidents occurring between May and September.
Real-Life Scenarios/Examples:
An ICU doctor was once asked about the worst part of their job. They responded, "Seeing young people in comatose states due to near-drowning incidents." Despite this, they allowed their 8-year-old, a weak swimmer, to swim unsupervised in a resort pool, believing the child would be fine even though the water was over the child's head. Unfortunately, such situations are not uncommon.
That being said friends often say to me: “from your lens, what do I need to worry about if my child is a good swimmer?” Here is my response, numerous things can go wrong even if a child can swim:
Double Drowning: Children playing in a pool may unintentionally cause harm. For example, one child could jump on another's back, pushing them underwater and resulting in the child drowning.
Panic Situations: If a child panics in the water, they might grab onto another child for support, inadvertently pulling them down and causing them to drown.
Injuries: Kids jumping or doing flips into the pool could hit their heads on the pool's side, leading to unconsciousness and drowning.
Highly intelligent individuals often excel in academic or professional settings but sometimes fail to exercise basic caution when it comes to activities involving water. Understanding why this happens can help lower risks and foster safer behavior for everyone, regardless of their intellectual prowess.
Risk Perception and Familiarity: Smart people may also fall prey to distorted risk perception. Their analytical minds might lead them to believe they can accurately assess and manage risks without fully understanding the nuances of aquatic environments. They might prioritize data and statistics over practical, experiential knowledge.
Multitasking and Distraction: Intelligent individuals often juggle numerous responsibilities and projects, which can lead to distractions. Multitasking is a common habit among high achievers, but it can be fatal near water. For example, a parent buried in their work emails at a poolside might fail to notice a child struggling in the water. The cognitive load of their intellectual tasks can detract from their situational awareness, increasing the risk of accidents.
Lack of Practical Education: Educational systems tend to prioritize intellectual development over practical life skills. As a result, even the most educated individuals might lack basic training in water safety. They might not know how to recognize signs of drowning, perform CPR, or understand the risks of certain water conditions. Without this practical education, their theoretical knowledge cannot compensate for real-world skills and preparedness.
Solutions and Awareness
Designated Water Watcher: Assign a responsible adult specifically to supervise and focus entirely on those in or near the water. Their primary role is to monitor swimmers, especially children, to prevent accidents and respond promptly to emergencies. The Water Watcher’s presence is crucial when children are swimming, playing, or even splashing around in pools, lakes, or any other body of water.
Education and Training: Make sure you and those around you are fully informed about all aspects of water safety before entering the water or allowing your children to swim. Including understanding of the water depths.
Enroll Your Kids In Swimming Lessons: Swimming is a fundamental life skill that should be taught to children as early as 6 months in order to prevent accidents in the water. Enrolling your children in swimming lessons while they are young is crucial to developing the necessary water safety habits and swimming skills that could potentially save their lives one day.
Remember, no matter how smart you are, water doesn't discriminate—safety always comes first.
Let us help you and your kids be safe around water, we currently have lessons year round at our pools in Richmond, Surrey, White Rock, Langley, Cloverdale, and Abbotsford. For more information on our programs, how to register, and much more, head over to our website! Come swim with Swim Fins: https://www.swimfins.ca/register