SALT LAKE CITY — As the weather warms up and families hit the pool, lakes and other bodies of water to cool down in the summer heat, it's important to take measures to prevent drowning.
Drowning deaths continue to be the number one killer of young children, but one local Utah group says there are things you can do that will make a difference.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, drowning is the number one cause of death for children between the ages of one and four and the second leading cause of death for children between the ages of five and 14.
McKell Christensen with the Utah Drowning Prevention Coalition said swim lessons are key.
"Kids who learn to swim are actually 33 percent less likely to drown," Christensen said. "Part of that is learning water skills and part of that is education on when water is not safe to be around."
In addition, Christensen says to be aware of the risks inside your own home.
"Maybe a toilet or a bathtub left unattended, those can be very deadly," Christensen explained.
Plans to study drowning prevention methods are in the works by federal officials as previously decreasing levels of drowning deaths have plateaued and disparities among racial groups are worsening.
Christensen said children with autism often have other special needs in the water, which lifeguards are now being taught to recognize.
"We know that’s a bigger risk too," she said. "Those kids are 160 times more likely to drown than their typical peers."
Christensen said the risks are no reason to not enjoy the water, rather, just be more aware of potential dangers.
" We are proponents of water recreation," she said, "but in a safe way."
