Water Safety & Drowning Prevention

1. Explain to the class that "we will be learning about water safety. It’s important to know how to be safe when you are on or in the water so you can prevent injury, and have fun!" Ask the class what they know about water safety and capture their answers on a flipchart or whiteboard.

a. On a piece of flipchart paper / whiteboard / SMART board, write down or present the following water safety key messages and review them with the class:

i. Always swim with an adult.

• • • "Make sure that whenever you are in or on the water, an adult is supervising you at all times."

ii. If you are not a strong swimmer, wear a lifejacket.

• • • "Swimming is good, but hard exercise! Make sure you only swim when you are well-rested. Wearing a lifejacket will allow you to enjoy the water while staying safe. A lifejacket allows you to take a rest from swimming while still keeping your head above water".

iii. If you are on the water, always wear a lifejacket.

• • • "Bodies of water in Alberta such as rivers and lakes can be unpredictable. The water can be choppy and cold, and you might fall into the water. Always wear a lifejacket when you are on the water. A lifejacket will help keep your head above water, and your core temperature warm".

iv. If there are water safety rules that are posted, always follow the rules.

• • • "Examples of typical rules at pools / beaches include "no running", "no diving", "no swimming"”. If you see a rule, follow it. Rules are made to keep you, and everyone around you, safe."

v. Always check the water for hazards before entering lakes or pools.

• • • "This rule particularly applies to entering lakes and rivers. Lakes and rivers may have sand bars, sharp rocks, or other objects that could cause injury. You should also test the temperature of the water. Water that is too cold is not safe to swim in, as it could cause hypothermia; a dangerous lowering of body temperature."

vi. In the wintertime, check with local authorities to make sure it is safe to go on frozen ponds, dugouts or lakes. If you are skating, playing hockey or ringette, remember to always wear a helmet.

• • • "Ice may look solid, but may be uneven and too thin. Only go on ice after you have checked to make sure that it is safe."

2. Ask the class if they know what ‘water hazards’ are. Explain to them that water hazards are a source of danger. Using the Water and Ice Safety - Grades 3&4 slidedeck, review the three images shown to find hazards at the beach, pool and river. Answer key is provided in the slidedeck.

3. Signs of Drowning. Using the same slidedeck Water and Ice Safety - Grades 3&4, discuss drowning, signs of drowning and the four types of distressed swimmers with the class.

a. What is drowning?

i. People drown when too much water gets into their lungs. When that happens, the lungs can't put oxygen in the blood. Then, too little oxygen gets to the brain and the rest of the body.
ii. Drowning can happen so fast — sometimes in less than 2 minutes after a person's head goes under the water. That leaves very little time for someone to help.

b. What does drowning look like? Ask the class what they think a person does or looks like when they are drowning. Discuss with the class that a popular misconception regarding drowning is that victims will loudly draw attention to their need for assistance. Drowning individuals are often very quiet. They are focused on trying to get air and will grab on to anyone or anything close to them.
c. In learning about water safety, it is important that students are able to recognize different types of drowning victims: non-swimmer, tired swimmer, injured swimmer, unconscious swimmer. Using the slidedeck, review the four types of distressed swimmers and then have the class identify each type of swimmer on the activity slide:

i. Non-swimmers – mouth below the water majority of the time, when breaking the surface the swimmer’s primary response is to breathe. There is no time for that person to call for help. Individuals who are drowning may have hair over their face, look of fear on their face, difficulty keeping their mouth above the water, or may be bobbing up and down.
ii. Tired swimmers – moving slower, may look tired or out of breath, may call for help or assistance.
iii. Injured swimmers – screaming or yelling in pain or for help, holding the injury site, moving slowly or in pain, may have difficulty keeping their head above the water.
iv. Unconscious swimmers – still, not moving. Could be anywhere on the bottom, in the middle, or at the surface of the water.
v. If you see someone who is in distress in the water:

• • • First, CALL FOR HELP.
    • Second, IDENTIFY LOCATION OF PERSON DROWNING.
    • Third, TELL an adult and CONTACT Emergency Medical Services or call 911 immediately.

d. Falling into water unexpectedly can be scary. In these circumstances, it is important for students to understand what to do if they fall into water. Using the Water and Ice Safety - Grades 3&4 slidedeck show the students the slide titled ‘So you fell into the water, now what?’. Ask them to think about the actions commonly done when people are in distress, and have each student rank them from best to worst on a piece of paper or whiteboard at their desk:

• • • Panic
    • Grab onto someone helping
    • Call for help
    • Lie on your back

i. Lead a brief class discussion asking students to share why they ranked the actions the way that they did. The correct order is as follows:

• • • The most important thing to do is CALL FOR HELP. Alerting others to being in danger is the most important part of self rescue. Drowning swimmers are often quiet as many are focused on their immediate situation. Emphasizing the importance in alerting others is an approach that benefits swimmers and non-swimmers.
    • The next best thing is to LIE ON your BACK. While in-water training is required to develop this technique, attempting to shift onto your back may increase a swimmer's buoyancy.
    • What to avoid? PANIC. It's important to recognize the disorienting impact of an unintentional fall into water. Acknowledging students' concerns regarding an unintentional fall is an important step in opening up the discussion to what they believe are safe methods of rescue.
    • What else to avoid? GRAB SOMEONE HELPING. This is discouraged as grabbing onto the person helping may make a potential rescue much more problematic.

e. Lifejackets. If you have a lifejacket or PFD that you can show the class - now is the time to use it for this discussion. Explain to the class that wearing a lifejacket is one of the most effective ways to prevent drowning. The Canadian Drowning Report shows the majority of people who drown in Canada were not wearing lifejackets. Using the Water and Ice Safety - Grade 3&4 slidedeck, review the section on Lifejackets.
f. Discuss the importance of wearing lifejackets and how to properly fit them.

i. Lifejackets keep swimmers safe for activities such as boating or swimming for long periods of time
ii. If you fall into water unexpectedly or get injured, it gives all types of swimmer a significantly better chance of survival
iii. Keeps everyone warmer in cold water
iv. Helps you from getting tired while swimming

g. Describe how to properly wear a lifejacket by showing this video Life Jacket Fitting

i. Zip it up
ii. Buckle all buckles, and tighten them
iii. Pull on the shoulder pieces to see if the lifejacket goes above the chin and ears. If it does not, it fits.

h. Optional: If lifejackets are available, have several students pick out a lifejacket and try it on and check to see if it fits properly.

4. Ask the class if they would know what to do if they noticed someone drowning or in distress in the water? Explain to the class that now that they know what a drowning individual looks like they will learn what they can do to safely help out. The most important thing is your safety and that is why you should never enter the water to rescue someone else unless you are trained to do so.

a. First, You should CALL FOR HELP.
b. Second, IDENTIFY LOCATION OF PERSON DROWNING.
c. Third, TELL an adult and CONTACT Emergency Medical Services or call 911 immediately.

i. Optional: Have students practice calling for help and relaying information to an adult, lifeguard or emergency services.

5. Explain to the class "we will be dividing into groups to role play how to be safe when we are in, or on water or ice."

a. Assign the class into groups for each of the following scenarios which can be found in the Water and Ice Safety - Grades 3&4 slidedeck

i. Being safe at the pool
ii. Being safe at the beach / lake
iii. Being safe on the water
iv. Being safe on the ice

b. Give each group one of the 'Being Safe' cards. Let students know that "they can reference the rules on their card during this activity. Depending on the group you are assigned to, act out how you would be safe."
c. For example, students in the 'Being Safe at the Beach / Lake' card will role play:

i. That they are at the beach / lake with an adult
ii. That they test the water before entering
iii. That if someone isn’t a strong swimmer, that they wear a lifejacket

d. After each group has finished their role play, have each group present their role play to the class. Review the water and ice safety rules together.