To the ocean, to the head of the trail, where I'm going, so far away, somebody told me, this is the place, where everything's better, and everything's safe. Walk on the ocean, step on the storms, let's become water, walk on the storms. Bringing it home with Sarah and Neil. Sarah, you know what I'm saying?
We have to step back into the early 90s today on Bringing it Home. Okay, that is who? Toe the wet sprocket, walk on the ocean. Walk on the ocean.
It's my turn to introduce you to us all. I see it is, but early 90s, I like it. It has that early 90s vibe. Yes, it does, yes, it does.
So, you know, we are getting closer to summer, and Memorial Day weekend is not far away, and that is like the unofficial kind of kickoff to summer, and a lot of people are going to be spending time in the water. Oh, that's right, people are unlocking the pools and getting ready to go. Yes, so we're going to talk about water safety, because May is actually National Water Safety Month. Wow, okay, all right.
Memorial Day is a week for the day. Okay, let's do it. Yes, so we may have some people heading out, you know, this weekend to go to the river or go swimming at some friend's houses or whatever. We'll see what the weather brings.
Hopefully people can get out. That's right. But a few statistics just about water safety and drowning, these are not the things we like to talk about, but it's the reality. According to the CDC, the number one cause of death in one to four-year-olds is drowning.
Oh. Yes, I know, and it's the number two cause for children five to 14 years old. So we really want people to pay attention around water, especially, you know, you may turn your back and think it's just a second. Oh, it doesn't take long.
Yes, and kids don't really have fear, so they're just going to go for it, right? Right, and when you're drowning, it doesn't always mean death. Right. It can mean severe impairment for the child.
Yeah, it can lead to some major brain injury and things. The CDC also tells us, and this is for us adults, that over 55% of U.S. adults have never had a swim lesson. Never.
So, have you had a swim lesson? I have, but I will tell you this. I was in college before I took a swim lesson. You know, most of the people I grew up around weren't taking swimming lessons.
Right. So, a lot of it is cultural. I will say that. You probably find more, and this isn't scientific, but you probably find a lot of minority populations that don't spend as much time in the water, don't have as much access, and just, you know, don't go swimming.
Did you have swimming lessons? I don't know that I've ever had official lessons, but we grew up around water, but my parents always practiced. Like, we had on our life jackets. We had a boat growing up, but we always had our life jackets on.
They always had their eyes on us, you know. I did take maybe some, like, unofficial swimming lessons from people that had pools that we were friends with. I mean, my parents didn't just let us jump in there, but we were around water. I will say, though, my dad's mom was scared of water, so my dad didn't really grow up doing a lot with water.
He doesn't have that fear. Well, I saw a lot of people, I've taken water therapy, and I've seen a lot of people, you know, 60s, 70s, that are taking therapy, and they're terrified. It's their first day, and they're terrified of getting in the pool. Thankfully, I didn't have to deal with that part, but, you know, it's real.
It is a real thing, for sure. So, we want people to be safe around water, for sure. Yeah, and you know something that's interesting? The National Drowning Prevention Alliance says that 70% of people overall that drown are not wearing swimsuits.
So, that tells you that they were not planning to get in water, most likely. Sure. And, you know, something happened. Accidents and things.
That's an interesting fact. Yeah, yeah. So, I love that you said our teens, because that's a population we need to zero in on. We kind of don't worry about drowning once they get to certain age.
We think, oh, they got it. Right. And we don't watch them as closely. And I'm guilty of that.
Charleston has never had an official swimming lesson. We always, you know, watched him when he was little, you know, in the pool, and he kind of would be beside me and be beside his dad. And then, you know, by the time he got, you know, older, we didn't watch him as closely. But these statistics kind of scare me, because the rate for teen males triples at age 15.
So, think about this, you know, triples. Why this teen? What's so big about this teen? Well, having lived with a 15-year-old recently.
We now have 17. But, I know, like, as we're talking, because several of our friends have pools and things like that, I can see, like, they roughhouse and play games and run and jump. And, like, you know, they're boys. Yeah, yeah.
So, I can see where an accident can easily occur. They dare each other to do things, you know. They want to impress their friends, you know, all those kinds of things. And there's less supervision at that age.
Again, we start to turn our backs a little more, let them venture out a little bit more at their friends' house. Their friends' parents may go in the house and leave the 15-year-olds outside, you know, at the pool. But, you know, it's just one of those things. But teens, we have to be very particular because the drowning rate is big for teens.
And here is why, okay? Well, let me tell you the statistics first. Adolescents that are 15 to 19 years old, they've got the second highest fatal drowning rate of any group. All right, so why does it go up?
A couple of things. Number one, okay, they underestimate their skills, and they underestimate dangerous situations. Now, those two things, and I'm going to say it another way, the public safety group said it like this, is where poor decision-making meets lack of water competence. Okay.
So, 15, lack of decision-making. And, you know, think about the rushing waters or the current. You know, a 15-year-old doesn't really see the danger or think about what could happen with water that's moving. Yeah, yeah.
And boys, this age group, and it's like, you know, adolescent age group or teenage group, their brain is not fully developed. So, the part of their brain that controls that decision-making is not really at full capacity yet. It's not going to happen to me. I just don't want to be judged by my peers, and I want to do what they're going to do.
Okay, here's the other thing. Substance abuse goes up at that point. There's drinking that goes on. Behind the adult's back, you know, there's drinking that goes on.
About two-thirds of students have tried alcohol by the 12th grade, research shows. Okay? So, you know, Memorial Day is coming up. They're making some adults that celebrate with alcohol.
They turn their backs, doing something else. And next thing you know, the teens are experimenting behind their back. And so, it's a leading factor in drowning, drinking alcohol while you're swimming, or boating is a major cause of up to 70% of recreational water deaths. So, if you're swimming, or if people are boating impaired and end up causing a swimming death.
That's really scary. It is. And I mean, we're at the time of year when all this is going to happen, boating, swimming, all that. Yes, and unfortunately, we are going to hear about people that are, you know, over the summer that will drown in things.
And we just want to give people information on water safety, no matter the age, to keep yourself and your family safe, you know, and teach to your children starting at a young age. So, as they grow, hopefully, they'll remember, you know, the do's and the do's and the do's. Well, I think it's important that we say this as well. Younger children in this country are more likely to drown in a pool.
Our older children, teens, they're more likely to drown in natural bodies of water. So, not as likely to drown in the home pool. Well, the home pool may not be that deep. By the time they get 15, you know, many of them are tall as almost your home pool in most cases.
But, they don't go to the home pool. Well, and there's more people, there's more opportunity, accidents, and things can happen. And those large bodies of water, especially on holiday weekends, everyone is not making the best decisions. That's right.
All right. So, let's talk about some things we can do then. Yeah, just general water safety. Make sure that everybody goes how to swim.
We've touched on that. But you're never too old to learn how to swim. No, they have adult swim lessons. I mean, I was in college.
That's what I had to do. I went in there with the five-year-olds. It's a different group. So, don't feel like I'm going to be in there with all those kids.
They're going to make fun of me. No, no, no. They're different groups. Right.
And these are offered at all kinds of locations. You know, where you live, community pools, private pools. YMCA's, you know, possibly boys and girls clubs. Just check in with anyone that has a pool near you.
We need everybody that is even thinking about going to a body of water. Any kind of needs to know how to swim. Yeah. We also need to know, no matter the age, because you've touched on this with our teenagers, we've got to supervise.
I'm watching them. Then you go do your thing. That's kind of the way that we, you know, did it. Well, you know, you just need to make sure that there's always supervision.
It says that most childhood journeys happen when there's not adult supervision. So, we need to keep eyes on them. Even our teenagers, we need to make sure somebody's watching. Yeah, that's true.
I'm going to come back for a minute to make sure everybody knows how to swim. This is truly terrible to happen. But think about a lot of the weather events that we've been having in this country where flooding has occurred. And people have found themselves in water.
They didn't go to a pool. They didn't go to a river or a lake. They were at home. They were in their neighborhood.
And they ended up dealing with water. So, it can save your life in random places. Right, and also being aware of if there's a flooding situation where you need to be and where you don't need to be. This is true.
This is true. I've got to go back to that. It's real and it's happening. So, you know, teenagers need to be taught to go into the water feet first.
This doesn't matter where they are. You know, diving is so dangerous. You may not know the water step at the point that you're at. Also, going in feet first is going to let them know if there's any hazards.
Are there rocks? Is there glass? What at the bottom on the surface? And if it's got no diving hosted, don't do it.
There's a reason. Do not do it. Now, if there's a diving board and you've got a lifeguard sitting there, it's probably protected. Well, but at the pool, you're okay.
Yeah, there you go. Yeah, you've got to be aware. But, no, this could lead to drowning, but it could also lead to a permanent spinal injury or even death. Oh, it could.
Yeah, so, yeah, feet first, especially if you do not know. Yeah. And kind of on that same note, you want to choose those natural water swimming spots very carefully, okay? Swimming in a pool is not the same as swimming in the ocean or the river or a lake.
You know, it's very different. You need to stay in those designated swimming areas. And we've actually been, you know, at the lake and the river where they'll have a swimming area roped off. And if you go outside of that, like, if there's a lifeguard there blowing that whistle, like, because it's not safe for you to leave that area.
Especially at the ocean, you know, you've got to care about rip tides. It changes. I mean, you know, people say, oh, I only feel comfortable going out to my waist. I only feel comfortable going out here.
That changes. And it can change while you're out there. Absolutely. In that little short length of time, it can change.
Yes. So, you need to know when to bring it back. Right. You've got to be aware.
And you never, ever, ever want to swim where people are, like, when they're putting their boats in or boating where people are fishing. Oh, no. You know, those are just hazards. So, you want to make sure if you're swimming out in a natural area, it's a safe space.
Yes. Now, one thing that we used to love to do is go on leisure cruises. We used to love to go on dinner cruises and entertainment cruises and stuff like that. And so, light jackets are very important when we do things like that.
And they always point out where they are. And there's a bin that hasn't been there. And you can't actually see them. And my husband would always like to analyze.
He's like, do you think there's enough in there for all the people on this boat? And I'm like, look, I don't think about that. But we all need to have a light jacket when we're on a boat that needs to be a U.S. Coast Guard approved light jacket.
It doesn't need to be just something you picked up somewhere that you don't really know. And, you know, we do go out on boats. That's why most states have laws that at a certain age you have to have a light jacket on. And also, if you're an adult or whatever, there has to be enough light jackets on the boat for every person on that boat.
Oh, I didn't know that. Yeah, so those are laws. And they're very specific ones. You have to have, like you were talking about the approved light jacket.
You can't just have like a pool noodle on it. Like it's got to be, it can't be a raft. It has to be actually approved. So, I know in the state of Tennessee there are laws for that.
And they will pull you over and give you a ticket on the water. Well, I think they should. That's good. Because we want to keep people safe.
And they're trying to save lives. Yeah, they are. Another thing that's going to save lives is talking to your teens about alcohol and drugs and how they don't mix. And instead of just talking to them, you've got to show them.
Oh, absolutely. And that's the part that's really tricky. You know, they don't need to see you drinking on the boat and driving and say, now, you don't need to drink and drive the boat. You're doing it.
So, we have to model, you know, the good behavior. Because it's going to interfere with your skills, your coordination, your judgment, all that stuff. It's just like driving a car. There are also laws in the state of Tennessee, if you're voting under the appointments, you will be in trouble.
Great, just lottery sources about this. I've never been out there like that. It is not the same thing. And these holiday weekends, you just really have to be careful.
Yeah, I know a lot of people are headed that direction. Yeah, yeah. But think about not just warm weather, water times. You know, water doesn't go anywhere just because the weather changes.
You know, you need to be careful of that. A lot, like if things start to freeze over, you've got to be careful. Don't just walk out there or drive over it on an ATV or something. Because in our area where we live, generally, it's not going to be frozen all the way through.
So, you've got to be careful of water hazards even when it's cold outside. Yeah, and I know a lot of especially teens want to get out because we don't have them with ice. You know, it doesn't happen that frequently. And so, I guess when they see it, you know, they want to get to it.
And that can be super dangerous. So, be very careful about that. I'm going to hammer this one home big time. I'm a CPR instructor.
Everybody needs to know how to respond to a water emergency. It's a good practice for families to get CPR certified because anybody could be a drowning victim. And we want people to be able to respond because the quicker that you can respond, the more likely you are to not only save their life but to save brain function and the function of all their other important organs. So, CPR is so important to learn.
It's not hard to learn. So, you know, we want families to learn that. You know, and oftentimes if you are on a river or a lake, it's going to be a minute before anybody can get to you longer than a traditional neighborhood pool. So, yeah, knowing these CPR.
Take along an AED. Get trained on an automated external defibrillator. Take one with you on the boat and take a first aid kit. Because like you said, it may be a while.
Yeah, so just be prepared. We want everybody to have fun in the water. Have fun in the water. Whether it's the pool or a lake or the ocean.
But we just need to be aware and be safe and, you know, reduce the chances of anything bad happening. Yes. I'm going to go diving one day. I've never been diving.
That's like I'm going to do this. Do it. I'm going to go. I'll wait for you on the water.
No, we're going to go. We may bypass from underwater. Who knows? Thank you all for tuning in to this very important episode of Bring It Home.
And who wants you to join Memorial Day? Well, I've got to shout out. My daughter has a birthday this weekend. So, happy birthday, sis.
Well, I've got a wedding anniversary coming up. It's all Memorial Day this year. So, have fun. I'll be off that day on my wedding anniversary.
And so, yeah, it's going to be a weekend of celebration. So, everybody stays safe. And in the words of Bob Marley, he was a really good swimmer. I don't know that, but I bet he was.
I bet he was. Yeah. But anyway, he wants you to live the life you love. And love the life you live.
See you next time.