'It can happen so quickly': Experts stress water safety as summer activities ramp up
"It can happen so quickly: Experts stress water safety as summer activities ramp up
A 3-year-old girl is in critical condition after being rescued from a pool in Camden County, and three people were pulled from the ocean off the coast of Wildwood. As the summer fun begins, experts are stressing the importance of water safety.
PHILADELPHIA - Following two water rescues Tuesday in New Jersey, experts are urging caution around pools and bodies of water as the summer weather ramps up.
Emergency crews in Camden County were called to a home on Branch Avenue where a 3-year-old girl had to be saved from a backyard pool. She was flown to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in critical condition.
Elsewhere in New Jersey, the coast guard and local authorities pulled three people from the ocean off the coast of Wildwood and scoured the water for a man.
Alana Mauger, a spokesperson for the Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania, says that it's particularly important to take water safety measures around children.
"The reality is that it can happen so quickly," Mauger said. "The idea is to have one person whose job is always to watch the children in the water - never take eyes off the water."
Mauger suggest going enjoying the ocean with a friend, and to use a flotation device if you don't know how to swim. Whether you're in the ocean or public pool, Mauger says it's important to make sure a lifeguard is on duty.
"We really just want everyone to be safe this summer," Mauger said.