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SALT LAKE CITY — One was too many; now four kids have drowned in the last 2 weeks. The latest is an 8-year-old boy who fell into the American Fork River Tuesday night.
No doubt our state has seen a tragic trend, so KSL News wanted to do something that would demonstrate the danger. To do that, we enlisted the help of Unified Fire Authority firefighter Ben Sharer, and he showed us up close and personal how scary the creeks, canals and rivers are.
Demonstrations of water danger
First, Sharer threw a tennis ball into City Creek to demonstrate how fast the water is moving. The ball was gone within seconds.
"They're floating on the surface; where if you're actually in the water, you're actually going to have a whole lot more force pushing you down the river," Sharer said.
And if someone falls in, crews anticipate finding that person a mile or more downstream.
The next thing Sharer showed us was how bad the visibility is once someone is under the water, even if it's just a little bit. To demonstrate, he tied a dummy to a rope, then placed it in the water.
"The dummy's head is about two inches under the surface of the water and you can already see how hard it is to see him. Imagine you get his whole body a foot under the water and you're not going to be able to see him at all," Sharer said.
"(It's) just really scary that you can't see what's underneath," Stephanie Clark said. "If that's a child, even more scary."
Keeping your kids out of the water
So what can you do to keep your kids away from the water? Dr. Douglas Goldsmith, executive director of The Children's Center and an expert in children's behavior, says telling your kids not to get in the water, or that the water will hurt them, won't do any good. He says, what will work is to establish and enforce boundaries.
Dr. Douglas Goldsmith, an expert in children's behavior, says telling your kids not to get in the water won't do any good. He says what will work is to establish and enforce boundaries.
"Putting some sort of blockade and saying, ‘You must not go past this or this is going to be the consequence,'" Goldsmith said. "And maybe the consequence is ‘if you go anywhere near this rope, or ribbon, or these chairs, I'm going to take you home.'"
Another important thing Goldsmith says parents should do is supervise their children. "Nothing is going to work better than supervision," he said. "Parents need to know that kids aren't just going to be able to listen to them: When they turn their back, the kid's going to be in the water. They must absolutely supervise."
Supervision is especially important for preschool-age kids and younger. Goldsmith says they won't understand the water is dangerous, even if you tell them a few times.
Older kids still need supervision too, but their mindset is a little different. Goldsmith says they are more likely to feel invincible.
If you do find yourself in the water, and of course we're hoping there's not even a chance of that happening because you're staying far away from the water, you want to keep your feet up and pointing downstream. Don't reach for things; just try to guide yourself to a river bank.
Primary Children's working to keep kids safe from drowning
Because drowning is the second leading cause of death among Utah children under the age of 14, Primary Children's Medical Center has organized a safety campaign that aims to prevent drownings and remind parents that a child can drown anywhere there's water.
"Every year, we see children, unfortunately, that drown in bodies of water in and around Utah," said Dr. Charles Pruitt, who works in the emergency room at Primary Children's Medical Center.
The best way to protect children is to prevent (drowning) from happening in the first place.
–Dr. Charles Pruitt, PCMC
#pruitt_q
The numbers are even more concerning this year. Since May 1, doctors at Primary Children's have seen eight drowning or near-drowning cases. Three of those children died and were victims of fast-moving water accidents.
"The best way to protect children is to prevent it from happening in the first place," Pruitt said. Primary Children's recently re-released two public service announcements about drowning, which air on television.
One public service announcement shows a father talking on his cell phone while his toddler plays alone on the edge of dock. Seconds later, the child disappears. The announcer says, "This message is to let parents know that drowning accidents can happen in the blink of an eye."
The second spot shows a mother talking on her cellphone. Her toddler is in the background playing with toys. As the mother continues her conversation, the child gets up and walks into the bathroom. "I'm just waiting for her bath water to cool," the mother says into her cell phone. "She's playing with toys."
The PSAs are part of the "Hold on to dear life" child safety campaign.
"My feeling is that people aren't thinking as much about water safety as they should early in the season," Pruitt said.
The campaign reminds parents that water at any depth is dangerous. "One minute you've got a playful, active child, and the next minute you have a child who may never wake up," Pruitt said.
The hospital has useful information on water safety at pools, lakes and at home on its website. CLICK HERE to visit the site's water safety section.
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Written by Courtney Orton, Emiley Morgan and Sandra Yi.
