When in and around oceans, lakes and rivers, there are actions you can take to keep yourself safe and actions you can take to keep those in your care safe. While any one of the actions below may increase your level of safety, using all of the actions together will provide the most protection. The following guidelines are to help you reduce the risk of drowning for you and others in your care.

Keep Yourself Safe
Learn swimming and water safety survival skills.
Always swim with others.
Obey all safety signs and warning flags.
Never go in the water after drinking alcohol.
Know how and when to use a life jacket.
Swim in areas with lifeguards.
Know the water and weather conditions before getting in the water.
Always enter shallow and unknown water feet first.

Keep Others Safe
Help and encourage others, especially children, to learn swimming and water safety survival skills.
Swim in areas with lifeguards.
Set water safety rules.
Always provide close and constant attention to children you are supervising in or near water.
Know how and when to use life jackets, especially with children and weak swimmers.
Learn first aid and CPR.
Learn safe ways of rescuing others without putting yourself in danger.
Obey all safety signs and warning flags.

Developed by an international Task Force co-chaired by: L Quan of University of Washington School of Medicine and Seatttle Children’s Hospital (USA), K Moran of University of Auckland (New Zealand), and E Bennett of Seattle Children’s Hospital (USA)

Task Force members: S Beerman (Canada), J Bierens (Netherlands), BC Brewster (USA), J Connelly (Ireland), N Farmer (Australia), R Franklin (Australia), P George (Australia), J Kania (Kenya), B Matthews (Australia), A Rahman (Bangladesh), R Stallman (Norway), T Stanley (New Zealand), D Szpilman (Brazil), RMK Tan (Singapore), M Tipton (UK), Secretariat: M Tansik (USA)

For additional information about international open water drowning prevention guidelines visit: www.seattlechildrens.org/dp