With the end of summer vacation around the corner, it’s important to keep safety a top priority when enjoying the water.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in 2019 there were 221 drowning deaths involving children under the age of 15 in the United States, including two in Iowa. Perry Aquatic Center Director Kami Kirchner says a vast majority of those involve kids between the ages of 1-4. Kirchner emphasizes that a fun day at a pool can turn tragic in the matter of a few moments, “Statistically, most drowning incidents in children aged one-four do occur at home swimming pools. It could be your kiddo runs away, you turn you back for two seconds, and they fall in the water. It could be you’re playing a game on your phone and you’re not paying attention. It could be anything, because there’s not that lifeguard there on hand keeping an eye on everyone.”

In addition to constant supervision, life jackets are also critical in keeping kids safe. In Iowa, every child under the age of 13 must wear a life jacket while on any boat, canoe, kayak and paddleboard at all times.