How You Can Avoid Drowning Accidents

Preparing for a drowning accident can seem daunting and tedious in equal measure; time spent in the water can be relaxing, fun, and inviting, causing many to drop their guard, yet simultaneously, drowning can occur so suddenly and quickly that it can be difficult to know how to react in a moment of panic. Prevention is the best medicine, so familiarize yourself with ways to avoid drowning accidents.

Simple Tips for Preventing Drowning

Drowning prevention doesn’t have to be a taxing ordeal, and truthfully only requires that you exercise caution and adhere to a few simple tips:

• Swim within your ability. You should never overestimate your own ability to tread water or swim, nor should you allow others to pressure you into potentially dangerous situations. Even at pools and supervised bodies of water, it’s best to receive training and certification in swimming before going in, to say nothing of the risks of beach and lakeside activities. Don’t dive unless you’re trained for it, don’t overestimate your stamina, and always follow safety regulations, even if you feel you don’t need them.
• Wear a life jacket around any natural body of water. Nearly all boating fatalities involve victims who fail to use life jackets appropriately or at all. Regardless of your swimming ability or the weather, you should wear life jackets while on or around any natural body of water; if you fall in, you’ll have no way of being sure how long you’ll have to tread water for, especially if you’re caught by the tide.
• Don’t drink near bodies of water. Alcohol impairment accounts for ~70% of all drowning fatalities among adults, especially around lakes and natural bodies of water. As you grow more impaired, you become more likely to make irresponsible decisions, and your motor skills start to degrade as well; both of these make you a liability to yourself and others if anyone falls into the water.
• Ensure sufficient supervision. Most child drowning fatalities are the result of a lack of supervision; this can occur during planned outings at the pool, but also is extremely common if a child goes into a backyard pool or other body of water without alerting an adult first. Similarly, adults should have supervision of some sort as well, even if not necessarily from lifeguards; having friends on hand who can call 911 or save a drowning individual can make all the difference.

The Aftermath of Arizona Drowning Accidents

After a drowning accident, you need to see a doctor and monitor your symptoms. Near-drowning accidents can leave your lungs, blood pH, and digestive system damaged, which can result in death or severe complications hours, days, or weeks after your incident. Just because someone’s breathing after getting out of the water, doesn’t mean they’re out of the woods.

Once your health is under control, it can be a good idea to talk to an Arizona drowning accident attorney, especially if you open an insurance claim to cover your medical expenses. Your injuries and trauma could have been the result of lax supervision, poor property management, defective life vests, or other unseen acts of negligence. The help of a legal professional becomes even more important if your loved one passed away as a result of drowning; while no amount of compensation can make up for their loss, it can nonetheless be beneficial to receive a settlement after a wrongful death, giving you time to mourn without having to worry about financial concerns. ELG can help, so give us a call at (623) 877-3600 to schedule a free consultation with a lawyer who cares.