Swimming Pool Safety

If you're swimming in your pool at home, remember that there's no lifeguard around but you. Take these extra precautions for safety
Install a barrier  Make sure the pool area is fenced off from the house and the rest of the yard  This eliminates the chance that your child or a neighbor's child will accidentally fall into the water in an unsupervised area  Fencing should be at least 4 feet high, and a self-closing, self-latching gate provides extra protection, as does a pool cover  If you have a door leading directly from the house to the pool area, keep it locked to prevent young children from wandering into the pool area 
Prepare for an emergency  Have a telephone and emergency phone numbers available near the pool  Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid  Have a first-aid kit on hand.
Watch for changing weather. Be prepared to head indoors if the skies look threatening 

On the open water

If you're venturing out to a lake, a river or the ocean, keep the following in mind when you're swimming on the open water 
Be in shape for what you intend to do  Swimming is an excellent form of exercise, but don't attempt more than your physical condition easily allows  Cold water, currents and other conditions on the open water require more energy than does swimming in a pool  If you're not in shape, you might have a hard time making it back to shore  As with any activity that you're not doing regularly, start out slowly.
Don't swim alone  Swim with a friend  Or, at the very least, have someone onshore keep an eye on you if you venture in unaccompanied 
Stay within designated swimming areas  Designated swimming areas are usually marked off by ropes or buoys  You might be tempted to swim into other areas, but unseen dangers may lie just beneath the water's surface, such as weeds that can entangle you or rocky underwater terrain
Don't fight the current  If you get caught in a particularly strong current, don't panic  Trying to swim directly toward shore won't help  You probably won't make any progress against the current, and you'll just tire yourself out  Instead, swim in a line parallel to the shore  When you feel the current relax, you can swim toward shore 
Watch for electrical storms  Before you swim, check the weather forecast  If a storm is coming, stay out of the water to avoid lightning strikes  Seek shelter, if possible 
Know that water-related tragedies happen in the blink of an eye  Assure your safety and that of your kids by swimming smartly