Editor’s Note: The summer of 2024 in Cleveland County has, so far, been unusually hot and dry. Also, local and area news has reported an unusual number of accidental drownings. Especially from Children to young adults. From the “Big” Broad River near the Greenway to residential swimming pools. From all the information that is available, there are just a few distinct circumstances that link all these drownings together. The following information is provided to citizens in order to recognize those circumstances and prepare accordingly. ALSO NOTE THAT PREVENTION IS ALWAYS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO HANDLING A POTENTIAL DROWNING SITUATION!!!
The 5 Most Common Causes of Drowning
Posted on: June 19, 2013 BY THE George Sink Law Firm.As we enter the summer months, the need to stay cool has families flocking to the beach and public and residential swimming pools. Unfortunately, as the number of swimmers increases, so does the number of unfortunate swimming accidents and drowning incidents.
According to the CDC, over 3,500 people on average drowned each year in the United States between 2005 and 2009. About 1 in 5 people who die from drowning is a child under the age of 14. For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal underwater injuries. Among children ages 1 to 4, most drowning incidents occur in home swimming pools.
To prevent these tragic accidents, you should know the most common causes of drowning and how to prevent these situations.
1.Lack of swimming ability.
The most common cause of drowning is not knowing how to swim. Many adults and children will attempt to get into the water without proper swim training. Formal water safety and swimming lessons under the supervision of a lifeguard can dramatically decrease the risk of drowning.
2.No barriers around the pool.
A four-sided fence separating the pool area from the house and yard reduces a child’s risk of drowning by 83%. While installing a fence may not be cheap, it is certainly worth the life of a child. The fence should have a locking mechanism and be tall enough to prevent wandering children from entering the pool area.
3.Lack of supervision.
Drowning can happen anywhere there is water. Never leave a child unattended in or near a bathtub, pool, pond, or even a bucket of water. There should always be a lifeguard on duty or a competent supervising adult. Never swim alone and follow the 10/20 rule: scan the area every 10 seconds and always be able to reach the water within 20 seconds.
4.Failure to wear life jackets.
72% of boating deaths that occurred during 2010 were caused by drowning, with 88% of victims not wearing life jackets. When boating, you should always have enough life jackets – adult and child-sized – for every person on the boat. Life jackets should be readily accessible and in good shape. It is best to insist everyone wear a life jacket at all times. You never know when an accident could occur.
5.Alcohol use.
Alcohol use is involved in about 70% of water-related deaths among adolescents and adults. One in five boating deaths involves alcohol, according to the CDC. Alcohol affects your balance, coordination, judgment, and basic motor skills. Your ability to swim may be severely limited under the influence of alcohol, and you may not be able to accurately judge how long or how far you can swim. Avoid drinking alcohol before or during swimming, boating, or other water activities. Do not drink alcohol while supervising children.
Drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional injury and death in the United States. Keep you and your family safe by following safety rules and participating in formal swimming and water safety lessons.
For more information regarding drowning and other unintentional injuries, contact the legal team at George Sink, P. A. Injury Lawyers.
Also, for your convenience, go to the following link for more local information provided by the NC Child Fatality Prevention Team at the link below. Or Open the PDF Document File that was provided to you with this article.
Accidental Drowning Deaths of Children in North Carolina: 2011.
With a Brief Overview of 2008 – 2011 Data
By the NC Child Fatality Prevention Team
Now Folks, as Robert A has just provided sufficient information to PROVE that drownings of our children here in Cleveland County is a serious problem; Robert A is about to suggest to YOU that part of the solution is obvious. Teach Water Safety and give Swimming Lessons at ALL of our Cleveland County High Schools. Planning and funding for the construction of Swimming Pools at Burns and Crest High Schools should begin NOW!!!
The written history of NO Auditoriums at Burns and Crest High Schools is long, racially motivated, “socially & class” motivated, as well as “city v. county” motivated. (Which all still exist today in Cleveland County.). Specifically dating all the way back to 1954 with the Brown vs. Board of Education US Supreme Court Decision, which overruled the Plessy vs. Ferguson decision of 1896 to allowed racial segregation of public schools in the United States as long as the racially segregated schools for each race were “equal.” But, all of this is not directly related to accidental drownings so those conversations will be left for another day. The facts remain that drownings in CC still occur at an unnecessarily high rate and not much of anything positive or effective is being done about it. And, Burns and Crest High Schools are still without Swimming Pools!!!
Back around the 2016 or so school board elections, School Board member Phillip Glover first brought up the idea of finally building auditoriums at Burns and Crest High Schools. At that time, Robert A was in attendance at that meeting and decided to do some investigation into new Auditoriums at existing High Schools all across the US. Robert A soon discovered that the Town of Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin had just agreed to build a NEW Auditorium as well as a Natatorium (an indoor swimming pool) on town owned property adjacent to the Ashwaubenon High School. The Town of Ashwaubenon’s Town Council decided that they would make this new Auditorium and Natatorium open to the general public when those facilities were NOT being used by the School. Which was most all weekends and much of the rest of the year.
This multi-task concept of Auditoriums and Swimming pools for both educational and overall community use seemed exactly what Cleveland County needed to do to provide both Auditoriums AND Swimming Pools at Burns and Crest High Schools. Sporting events, Plays, entertainment, educational stuff and SWIMMING LESSONS all in one big package. Robert A sent all his research stuff to the CCS School Board and nothing ever happened until the 2020 Republican Primary Elections when CCS School Board Chairman Robert Queen and his band of misfits pushed the Auditoriums at Burns and Crest as a way to “Buy Votes.” A failed effort as it turned out.
Also note that the Town of Ashwaubenon spent around $8 Million for their Auditorium while CCS spent $30 million for two auditoriums that, as yet, have not been fully utilized.
So, folks. It is time for the voters and taxpayers of Cleveland County, as well as the parents and grandparents of children to speak out. Build swimming pools, beginning immediately, at Burns and Crest High Schools. Also, open them up for public use to help justify the cost. And make them an asset to the communities around Burns and Crest. And offer cheap swimming lessons and community safety training courses to everybody. Save our children and grandchildren. Overall, this is a cheap investment that may very well save lives in the process.
Amen! Do I hear an AMEN!! to this idea???
