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Precious Guardians Saves Lives

We are your Precious Guardians and we are here to save precious lives one foot at a time. The first step to doing this is to make the general public aware of the real and sometimes horrific statistics that revolve around pool and in-home safety. Some statistics will be shocking in nature but you will soon see why this organization has been formed. Drastic problems and statistics such as these should not be overlooked for any reason and we believe that all city and federal regulations should be followed and enforced without fail.

The Center For Disease Control and Prevention States…

Every day, about ten people die from unintentional drowning.

      Of these, two are children aged 14 or younger.

Drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional injury death in the United States.

How big is the problem?

• From 2005-2009, there were an average of 3,533 fatal unintentional drownings in the United States. (10 Per Day)
• About one in five people who die from drowning are children 14 and younger.
• For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.
• More than 50% of drowning victims treated in emergency departments require long term disability care.

Who is most at risk?

• Males: Nearly 80% of people who die from drowning are male.
• Children: Children ages 1 to 4 have the highest drowning rates. In 2009, among children 1 to 4 years old who died from an unintentional injury, more than 30% died from drowning. Among children ages 1 to 4, most drownings occur in home swimming pools.Drowning is responsible for more deaths among children 1-4 than any other cause except congenital anomalies (birth defects). Among those 1-14, fatal drowning remains the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death behind motor vehicle crashes.
• Minorities: Between 2005 and 2009, the fatal unintentional drowning rate for African Americans was significantly higher than that of whites across all ages. The disparity is widest among children 5-14 years old. The fatal drowning rate of African American children ages 5 to 14 is almost three times that of white children in the same age range.

What factors influence drowning risk?

• Lack of Swimming Ability: Many adults and children report that they can’t swim. 
• Lack of Barriers: Barriers, such as pool fencing, prevent young children from gaining access to the pool area without caregivers’ awareness. A four-sided isolation fence (separating the pool area from the house and yard) reduces a child’s risk of drowning 83% compared to three-sided property-line fencing.
• Lack of Close Supervision: Drowning can happen quickly and quietly anywhere there is water. Watch at all times.
• Location: People of different ages drown in different locations. For example, most children ages 1-4 drown in home swimming pools. Adults tend to drown in more natural water locations.
• Failure to Wear Life Jackets: In 2010, the U.S. Coast Guard received reports for 4,604 boating incidents; 3,153 boaters were reported injured, and 672 died. Most (72%) boating deaths that occurred during 2010 were caused by drowning, with 88% of victims not wearing life jackets.
• Alcohol Use: Among adolescents and adults, alcohol use is involved in up to 70% of deaths associated with water recreation, almost a quarter of ED visits for drowning, and about one in five reported boating deaths. Alcohol influences balance, coordination, and judgment, and its effects are heightened by sun exposure and heat.
• Seizure Disorders: For persons with seizure disorders, drowning is the most common cause of unintentional injury death, with the bathtub as the site of highest drowning risk.

What has research found?

• Swimming skills help. Taking part in in formal swimming lessons reduces the risk of drowning among children aged 1 to 4 years.
• Seconds count—learn CPR. CPR performed by bystanders has been shown to save lives and improve outcomes in drowning victims. The more quickly CPR is started, the better the chance of improved outcomes.
• Life jackets can reduce risk. Potentially, half of all boating deaths might be prevented with the use of life jackets.

Tips to help you stay safe in the water

• Supervise When in or Around Water. Designate a responsible adult to watch young children while around water.
• Use the Buddy System. Always swim with a buddy. Select swimming sites that have lifeguards when possible.
• Seizure Disorder Safety. If you or a family member has a seizure disorder, provide supervision around water.
• Learn to Swim. Formal swimming lessons can protect young children from drowning.
• Learn CPR In the time it takes for paramedics to arrive, your CPR skills could save someone’s life.
• Toys are NOT Life Jackets Don’t use air-filled or foam toys, such as “water wings”, “noodles”, or inner-tubes, instead of life jackets.
• Avoid Alcohol. Avoid drinking alcohol before or during swimming. Do not drink alcohol while supervising children.
• Don’t let swimmers hyperventilate before swimming underwater or try to hold their breath for long periods of time. This can cause them to pass out (sometimes called “shallow water blackout”) and drown.

If you have a swimming pool at home:

• Install Four-Sided Fencing. Install a four-sided pool fence that completely separates the pool area from the house and yard. The fence should be at least 4 feet high. Use self-closing and self-latching gates that open outward with latches that are out of reach of children. Also, consider additional barriers such as automatic door locks and alarms to prevent access or alert you if someone enters the pool area.
• Clear the Pool and Deck of Toys. Remove floats, balls and other toys from the pool and surrounding area immediately after use so children are not tempted to enter the pool area unsupervised.

 Ways That You Can Help To Save Lives In Your Community

Precious Guardians is here to help save lives by informing, educating, and giving much needed assistance to the community.  There are many dangers in and around the community and in homes that  just can not properly be taken care of due to these tough economic times. We at Precious Guardian are part of the community and it is our duty to address these dangers and not let a tragic accident happen due to the lack of finances. We as human beings can not let another human lose their life because they could not afford the proper measures to prevent these tragedies. Helping is what we do and it is what you can do as well.

For as little as $25 you can provide one foot of pool fence to a community member in need. Those donations also go to in home or structure inspection to help identify and possibly correct safety issues in and around them. Help to keep your community safe. Donate a foot today!!!