PHOENIX — Drowning is one of the most common causes of unintentional death in Arizona, and there are a lot of misunderstandings when it comes to water safety and drowning prevention.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that only children drown.
Despite a disproportionate number of children under 5 drowning, Lori Stauffer from the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona says twice as many adults drown as children.
"We really need to have adults understand that they are not drown-proof. We need to take steps. Also, we see that they are going in impaired and that can be drugs and alcohol, it might be prescription medicine. It also may mean that they are not feeling well," said Stauffer. "And if it's an older adult, that usually means that they end up going into the water and potentially having a cardiac issue or they have a stroke. If you're in there by yourself, no one's going to be able to rescue you and get you the care that you need for that situation."
People also inaccurately believe they will hear a drowning.
"It is proven that when they are struggling in the act of drowning, they are trying to get their face above water and there's not enough time for them to catch their breath and make a sound. So, that is why it's silent. So, anybody who is watching the water really should understand that they look like they're climbing that invisible ladder," said Stauffer.
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Another misconception about drowning is that you don't need a pool fence if your kids know how to swim.
"You're a good parent. You think you've got things in place and one of the challenges that we're seeing is, 'It's okay that I don't have a pool fence, my kids know how to swim,' and we have kids drowning all of the time that have been in swim lessons and have been around water and they're still drowning," said Stauffer.
The last drowning misbelief is that you don't need a life jacket.
"If you are in water above your swimming ability, whether you're in a pool or lake and river, you need to have a life vest. Even if you're over the age of 12. That life vest is not going to help you in the water when you're struggling if it's on the boat, right?" said Stauffer.
She says the most important thing we can do to prevent drowning is to know how to swim.
"Drowning is 100% preventable. We just need to take some simple steps to save those lives," said Stauffer.
To learn more about the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona's work and resources visit preventdrownings.org.
