Yuma Fire Departments reminds locals of water safety for the summer
Andrea Turisk
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – As summer kicks off, more families might want to cool off in the water, but that fun can turn dangerous in an instant.
This is how fast it can happen, a person slips underwater, and within seconds, it turns into a life-or-death emergency. That’s why officials say now is the time to get ready, not after something goes wrong.
In Yuma, officials say they don’t want to wait for tragedy to take action.
Carol Smith, nurse educator at Onvida Health, says drownings are the number one leading cause of death in young children.
“We all know somebody, tragically, that has been affected by drowning. We’re a water community, you know, we’re all around water so its really really important because its also the number one leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4,” explained Smith.
According to the latest data published by the Arizona Department of Health Services, in 2021, there were 29 drowning deaths in ages 0 to 4. That’s why the City of Yuma is teaming up with the Greater Yuma Water Safety Alliance, offering a free one-hour class to teach parents about water safety.
“They’ll learn some hands on CPR and have the opportunity to sign up for more in depth classes, they’ll leave with a life jacket for their child, they’ll understand the importance of layering all those things of protection together,” said Smith.
For the Yuma Fire Department (YFD), prevention means starting before the siren even sounds.
“Each year, the Yuma Fire Department does respond to either a near drowning or a drowning. It’s one of the important things that the Greater Yuma Water Safety Alliance is working on. We would love to get that number down to zero,” said David Padilla, Public Information Officer with YFD.
YFD says drownings are often silent and preventable, which is why being prepared can help avoid tragedy in the future.
“It’s important we’re taking all of our safety precautions, whether that’s learning how to swim, learning CPR classes, ensuring that pool gates and latches are closed, door alarms, water watchers during swim parties. We want to make sure our community is taking all of the precautions they possibly can,” explained Padilla.
For more information on how you can sign up for water safety classes, you can click here.