Pool safety tips for summer

What’s the best way to prevent drownings in your backyard pool this summer? Constant adult supervision, according to the state Attorney General’s Office.

On the eve of July Fourth, state officials have released a guide on the best poolside safety practices. Aside from making certain the water always has a set of eyes, officials recommend a minimum 4-foot-tall security fence around its perimeter with a self-latching gate.

READ MORE:Expert advice for staying safe in the water this summer

The report showed young children are most at risk for drowning, and it is the leading cause of accidental death for children between the ages of 1 and 4 across the United States. The Attorney General’s Office suggests parents consider “a variety of underwater motion alarms, surface movement alarms, and child wristband monitors that sound an alarm when the wristband gets wet.”

This summer, one Stafford 2-year-old drowned while her family thought she was watching television in a back room. Cases of secondary drowning — when water gets trapped in a child’s lungs after he or she is rescued — also have been reported across the country. Parents are cautioned to monitor their child’s breathing if he or she swallows large amounts of water because lingering effects can be fatal.

The staple rule in water safety: be cautious and attentive whenever children are around pools.