Thank You Event Sponsors!
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Water Safety Awareness Day
2023 Water Safety Day was a BIG success! Thank you to everyone who attended, our sponsors, in-kind donors and volunteers for your participation and support! This event is held every May, which is National Water Safety Month. Along with City of Lafayette Aquatics (COLA), Mazie's Mission, hosted this event to offer even more resources and fun activities for children. to promote the importance of drowning prevention and offer water safety awareness along with helpful resources to the Acadiana community.
If you would like to be a part of this event next year, please send us an email to heather@maziesmission.net and we will keep you updated on when it will be!
Drowning Facts
According to the CDC, drowning is the leading cause of death for infants and young children between the ages of 1-4.
Louisiana experienced a 60% increase in the number of infant and child drownings (ages 0-14), from 15 in 2019 to 24 in 2020.
In previous years, Louisiana had the fourth highest drowning rate for children 1-14 years in the United States, and drowning remains the third leading cause of death for Louisiana children in this age group.
We HAVE to take action and start conversations on the impact of infant and child drownings, beginning with prevention and awareness. ALL YEAR LONG it is important for parents and families to know about precautions they can take to prevent child drownings.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for water safety tips and updates!
Layers of Protection
We encourage everyone to become familiar with these drowning prevention tips and layers of protection to stay safe around water YEAR ROUND!
More Water Safety Tips
1. Children can drown in as little as 1 INCH of water. Actively supervise children in and around water (toilets, bathtubs, fountains, pools, ponds, etc...), inside and outside of your home. When you go anywhere such as a park with a pond, the beach or lake, know that children will be drawn to water.
AVOID DISTRACTIONS OF ANY KIND.
2. Once bath time is over, immediately drain the tub. Keep toilet lids closed and doors to bathrooms closed.
3. Pick up toys in the pool or around when finished playing.
4. When shopping for swimsuits, look for bright color options, avoiding darker shades, especially blue.
OPEN WATER SAFETY TIPS:
https://www.safekids.org/checklist/open-water-safety-checklist
Be a Water Watcher!
Providing constant supervision over young swimmers is an important responsibility and can help prevent drownings or near drownings. Unfortunately, tragedies often occur in group settings because people assume someone else is supervising the children in the water. Drowning is silent and fast. Active supervision is your child's best protection.
Designate a Water Watcher, a responsible adult whose sole duty is to supervise children in the pool until the next person takes over. Please join us in taking a pledge towards water safety for children.
Water Watcher Responsibilities and Pledge
To help protect children from drowning, I will pledge to do the following:
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While on water watcher duty, I will maintain constant visual contact with all children who are in or near the water and keep them in arms length.
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I will continue to monitor children and remain by the water until I am relieved by another adult who will serve as the next Water Watcher.
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I will say no to any distractions including socializing, reading a book or looking at my phone while on Watcher Watcher duty.
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I will make sure rescue equipment is easily accessible and keep phone a phone near me.
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I will stop dangerous activity in the water.
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In a drowning emergency, I will:
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Shout for help
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Rescue and remove the person using available safety equipment as necessary
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Call 911 immediately or have another adult call
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Provide rescue breathing and/or CPR if trained or as instructed by 911
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Have all other children exit the water until the emergency is over
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These are our friends at All Seasons Pools and Spas here in Lafayette. They were our very first supporters and emphasized the need for encouraging water watchers in our community.
Check them out on their website: https://www.allseasonspools.net/.
