Five Minutes or Less for Health Weekly Tip: Prevent Drownings

Recreational activities in a natural body of water can be a wonderful way to spend time with family and friends. Learning to swim is key. Take precautions. If you plan to swim, ride in a boat, canoe, or other water vehicle, take a minute to protect yourself and others from drowning.

• Put on a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Make sure all passengers put on a life jacket, regardless of distance to be traveled, size of boat, or swimming ability of boaters.
• Know the meaning of and obey warnings represented by colored beach flags. These may vary from one beach to another.
• Watch for dangerous waves and signs of rip currents. Some examples are water that is discolored and choppy, foamy, or filled with debris and moving in a channel away from shore.
• If you are caught in a rip current, swim parallel to shore. Once free of the current, swim diagonally toward shore.
• Do not use air-filled or foam toys, such as water wings, noodles, or inner-tubes, in place of life jackets. These toys are not designed to keep swimmers safe.
• Don't drink. Alcohol is involved in about a third of all recreational and boating fatalities.

Learn More

• Protect the Ones You Love: Drownings
• Drowning Risks in Natural Water Settings
• Water Related Injuries
• Healthy Swimming/Recreational Water