Saturday, April 20, 2024
MOM’S CORNER
Madison Huse is a Dallas-born 24-year-old Granbury resident who has lived in Hood County since 2018. She works part-time as a swim teacher in between her time as a stay-at-home mom. She enjoys canine enrichment, snow sports, and volunteering anywhere she may be needed.
Editor’s note: This is Part 1 of 2 on the topic of what can be done to help prevent children from the dangers of drowning.
Growing up, I spent a lot of time watching the children’s TV cartoon “SpongeBob SquarePants.” In an episode titled “SpongeGuard on Duty” from season 3, the main character finds himself agreeing to be a lifeguard — although he doesn’t know how to swim.
As the episode goes on, SpongeBob's best friend Patrick (who also can’t swim), is lured by ice cream into the deep water and begins to drown. Patrick frantically bobs up and down in the water yelling, “Help! I’m drowning!”
SpongeBob, the designated lifeguard on duty, dives in to save Patrick — only to start drowning himself. SpongeBob and Patrick now are both yelling for help for some time before Larry the lobster, the real lifeguard, picks them up out of the water and safely escorts them to shore.
This depiction, among various other cartoons, is wildly incorrect. Drowning in real life is sudden and silent. According to Cook Children’s Health Care System, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death from children ages 1-4, and the second-leading cause for kids ages 1-14 in Texas.
According to a program called Lifeguard Your Child, many of the drowning victims seen at Cook Children’s have taken place at home or nearby community pools.
Stop Drowning Now, which is a group founded by educators, focuses on educating kids and adults about drowning prevention. The goal is to educate, and bring awareness to the risks involved in any aquatic setting — not to instill fear of the water, but a healthy respect for it.
Shockingly, 88% of the time when a child drowns, an adult is present. We can do better for our kids by being more aware and knowledgeable.
Fortunately, drowning is very preventable, and your risks of drowning can be cut in half with formal swim lessons, a proactive plan, and multiple safety measures.
To kick off the summer, Brazos River Authority and Carter BloodCare are hosting a drive-through water safety day today (Saturday, May 1) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Join local first responders, Radiant Swim School, fire department volunteers, and more in this lifejacket giveaway (while supplies last) and water safety awareness event located at 4552 Mambrino Highway just south of Granbury.
“Our overall goal is to ensure everyone makes it home at the end of the day,” said Kyle Lewis, the Brazos River Authority’s Lake Granbury Project Manager and Program Coordinator.
Don’t be a victim. Be proactive, and have fun using simple guidelines and safety procedures.
In the next Mom’s Corner column, Part 2 on the drowning prevention topic, we will explore what parents can do.
