MIDLAND, Texas — It's a guarantee that people will be hitting up the pools as the weather begins to warm up.
With city pools opening up soon as well, more families will be flocking to the water with the kids.
It's not always fun in the sun, however.
Midland Fire Department is warning the city of Midland of the increased risk of drowning at the pools.
"There's an estimated 3,500 drownings in the U.S. every year," said Bryce Pruitt, a battalion chief with MFD. "It is the number one cause, or leading cause, of accidental deaths among children. and usually that has to do with supervision, especially with children under five."
What makes drowning truly scary is how quiet it is.
"People think that victims will be screaming for help," said Pruitt. "They’re not. If they're drowning, they're clearly underwater, they’re fighting for air or for their next breath. They’re not going to be giving you any audible cues that they’re drowning or screaming for help."
The best way to prevent drowning is supervision. Always make sure to keep an eye on your kids as they are taking a dip in the pool.
If they are wearing floaties, make sure they wear them at all times, even if they get out of the pool, just in case they fall back in.
City pools and community pools will often have a lifeguard, but at a home with no lifeguard, keeping a barrier or fence around your personal pool can keep out kids who may not have permission to be in there.
“Good advice for a homeowner is to one, especially with small children, is to get a fence or some sort of barrier around the pool, so that unsupervised children can’t even get near the pool without the supervision or the permission [of the parent],” said Pruitt.
First response time varies between each situation, but there are actions that the average person can do while waiting for the fire department.
“For adults, guardians, supervisors, teenagers that are babysitting for the summer, learning rescue techniques and CPR, things that save time, save lives, while you’re waiting on first responders to get there,” said Pruitt.