ROANOKE, Va. – Local health experts are warning parents about the dangers of things like backyard kiddie pools, splash pads and sprinklers.
Jill Lucas Drakeford, the Safe Kids coordinator with Carilion Children’s, said you should never leave a child unattended in or near water and always watch them.
Also, make sure children have an approved flotation device, like a life jacket.
When they’re done playing, remove water and toys from the pool so they don’t go back to the pool without you knowing.
Experts said these tips are especially important with more people taking to their backyards for summertime fun this year.
“A lot of times if we’re at a public pool, we think, ‘Oh, there’s a lifeguard there so we don’t have to be as vigilant.' Well we really have to be vigilant with these backyard pools. Kids can drown in water very easily, very quickly and very quietly, so people think, ‘Oh well I’ll hear my child if they’re drowning,' but they don’t,” said Lucas Drakeford.
Click here for more backyard water safety tips.