The National Drowning Prevention Alliance extends their deepest sympathy to the Barrett family following the tragic death of their daughter Arrayah, aged two years old.
Adam Katchmarchi Ph.D. is the Executive Director of NDPA. “The loss a child through drowning can be both heartbreaking and unfathomable for parents and their families.” We share their grief and are steadfast in our mission of saving lives through advocacy and education on water safety.
The CDC ranks drowning among children ages 1-4 as the number one cause of death. However, these cases are often accidental and preventable. The NDPA prevention recommendations are aimed at dispelling common misconceptions.
Myth # 1: If a child in distress is found in the water they will be rescued in time.
Fact: Drownings are usually silent and occur quickly.
Myth # 2: Watching a child while they swim ensures their safety.
Facts: Most drowning incidents in children occur when the child is not swimming. They find their way into a pool, or even open water without being noticed.
Myth # 3: The best way to protect a child is by teaching them how to swim, and having an adult with you.
FACT: Although water competency and adult surveillance are always recommended as prevention strategies, neither one nor two are enough. The NDPA believes that more is better when it comes to water safety. This is why they advocate the Five Layers of Protection – barriers and alarms; water competency; supervision; life jackets and emergency preparedness.
Katchmarchi added, “NDPA helps bereaved parents find support from other parents who have shared similar experiences, through its affiliation to Families United To Prevent Drowning. This collective is made up of over 100 families and foundations whose members are working to ignite massive change in the battle to save lives, by turning tragedy to advocacy.”
National Drowning Prevention Alliance Through education, awareness and advocacy, NDPA aims to reduce drownings and aquatic injuries among children ages 1-4. For more information, please visit ndpa.org.
Photo Credits: Instagram: @moochman6
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