Organization Strives to Keep Kids Safe in Pools

Austin residents are always looking for ways to make their city safer.  To that end, a group of organizers from Safe Kids Austin recently staged a demonstration at Garrison Pool located in South Austin.  The purpose of this demonstration was simple:  to remind parents and children to be safe while swimming in one of Austin’s many area pools.

According to researchers, drowning is the second most common cause of accidental death in children ages 1 to 14.  With so many taking time out of their days to cool off in the pool, organizers of the event don’t want to see a tragedy occur.

"What we see unfortunately is older children who may not have strong swimming skills and even after hours are getting into areas around water - unsupervised - and that poor judgment can lead to fatalities and near drownings," Dr. Todd Maxson from Dell Children's Medical Center told KVUE.com. 

In order to increase awareness of pool safety, parents and children witnessed a demonstration of lifeguards pulling a “victim” from the water as first responders made an attempt to save his life.  While the scene might have been a bit frightening, organizers hope it will help make parents and children think safety every time they take a dip in the pool.