Awareness called key message in battling drownings

Lee Scrivner

Wednesday, July 5, 2000 | 10:14 a.m.

Clark County firefighters, health district officials and parents braved the afternoon heat Friday to deliver a message to Las Vegans who might seek refuge from the soaring temperatures in swimming pools.

They distributed doorknob hangers that read "Constant Supervision is the Answer ... Prevent Drownings," along with brochures that detailed drowning prevention information.

"The purpose of going door to door is to promote awareness in this area," said Kathi Rice, executive board member of the SAFE KIDS Coalition. "Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death among children in Southern Nevada.

"It is a real problem in Las Vegas because there are lots of pools and spas," she said. "We want to see our children have a good time ... but the safety issue needs to be addressed."

So far in 2000 there have been 22 near-drownings and five drownings among children 14 and younger in Clark County, according to American Medical Response statistics.

That's on pace to approach last year's total of 52 near-drownings and 10 drownings.

Most of those can be prevented, said Mike Bernstein, health educator for the Clark County Health District and a SAFE KIDS Coalition member.

"The majority of these incidents occurred in a backyard swimming pool or spa while one or both parents or other caregivers were at home," Bernstein said.

"Frequently, there was only a brief lapse in supervision that led to the tragedy. But drowning incidents can occur in that short span of time -- not from neglect, but just from a few minutes of being unsupervised, like while a parent is talking on the telephone."

Susan Growe, a project volunteer and a nurse, said she sees the need for increased awareness, both at home and at work.

"I am a mother, too," Growe said. "And I am tired of seeing children come in to the emergency room for this all the time. When I go home and see my daughter, I realize it could happen to me."

"Until more people believe it could happen to them, the statistic will not decrease," Clark County Fire Department spokesman Bob Leinbach said. "Precautions against drowning should be as common as wearing seat belts. It should be just part of a routine ... like checking smoke detectors.

"Unfortunately, teaching very young children to swim is not the answer," he said. "Children who receive encouragement or reward from swimming are more inclined to try to swim when their parents are not supervising them. Supervision is the key."

The group suggested several other measures to prevent drowning:

For more information, contact the Clark Count Health District at (702) 383-1217, or the SAFE KIDS Coalition at (702) 731-8666.