Riverside County health officials urge residents to be water watchers as summer kicks off with Memorial Day festivities. The reminder comes as pools, lakes and beaches are expected to be busy with people looking for some holiday sun and fun.
“This is an especially important time of year to be mindful of children and all family members when they are around water. It’s also an important time to ensure our children and grandchildren take survival swim lessons and learn the rules around the pool,” said Riverside County Third District Supervisor Chuck Washington.
Pools, natural water sources and tubs and water-filled buckets pose a serious danger for drowning if children or even adults are not properly monitored.
“All drownings are tragic and all drownings are preventable. The key is to never assume that someone else is watching your children when they are around water – any kind of water,” said Kim Saruwatari, Director, RUHS Public Health.
Preventive actions include:
- Add barriers to water sources, such as gates, fences and alarms.
- Assign a water watcher whenever people are close to water and never allow someone to swim alone.
- Adults who are in or near water should avoid consuming alcohol and medications that can influence judgment, balance and the ability to swim.
- Get trained in CPR, basic first aid and rescue methods.
- Enroll children in swim lessons with a certified instructor.
- Wear life jackets when on or near natural water sources.
Residents are urged to also be mindful of these layers of protection when vacationing at a hotel or at a vacation rental.
In 2024, there have been 25 drowning incident reports with five adult fatalities and zero reports of child fatalities in Riverside County.
For additional safety tips and resources, visit www.ruhealth.org/rivcowatersafety.
About the Riverside County Water Safety Coalition
The Riverside County Water Safety Coalition is a collaborative among Riverside University Health System - Medical Center, Riverside County Department of Public Social Services, Riverside County Department of Environmental Health, CAL FIRE / Riverside County Fire Department, First 5 Riverside and Riverside University Health System - Public Health to promote water safety and drowning prevention.