SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — As temperatures rise this week, many families will head to pools and beaches to cool off.
That's why YMCA swim leaders are reminding parents that drowning prevention requires constant vigilance.
"I can't take my eyes off of him," said Matt Fields-Johnson, who was enjoying pool time with his 1one-year-old son at the Ryan Family YMCA on Tuesday.
Fields-Johnson demonstrated proper supervision, staying close to his child at all times in the water.
"We kind of stay on the ramp here, and if we go a little deeper, I just hold him," Fields-Johnson said. "There's always potential that I could be distracted, I guess, but this is an area where there's just no margin for error."
YMCA Aquatics Director Andi Keliinois confirms this approach is essential, sharing some alarming statistics.
"Well, 60% of drownings actually occur within 10 ft of safety," Keliinois said.
Even more concerning, Keliinois said 88% of drownings happen under some form of supervision.
"It's easy to say, 'Oh, you know the lifeguard is there, or someone else is watching, and unfortunately there's a lot of times where when we think everyone's watching no one is watching," Keliinois said.
Keliinois explained that the most common reasons for emergencies are children not knowing where the deep end starts or accidents occurring, such as hitting their head and slipping underwater.
May is Drowning Prevention Month, and the YMCA is promoting its "Phones Down, Eyes Up" campaign, urging parents and guardians to provide either a designated water watcher or their undivided attention to children.
"I think parents can get a little lax or just overtrust life jackets," Keliinois said. "The most important thing for children to learn how to swim is for their parents actually to be in the water with them."
