Fit and Well Idaho: Swimming safety

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — With the temperatures heating up, many people will be looking for refuge in the cold waterways of southern Idaho.

Katie Barnhill from St. Luke’s Injury Prevention says there is different risks for different age groups.

Children under the age of one should never be left alone in any depth of water at any time. It only takes two inches of water for your child to drown.

Children one to four should begin swimming lessons to learn how to float and even swim.

In age five to 14, natural waterways such as rivers and lakes are more common to see drownings.

“At this age it is important to monitor them and encourage safe choices, such as no cliff jumping and wearing a life jacket,” said Barnhill.

She reminds us to never swim in irrigation water.

“We never want to swim in those either, they are just for farming use, they look calm at the top, but a lot of the time similar, there is currents in them that are unseen, that you can get trapped in, there is gates and things like that, so just because things look calm, doesn’t necessarily mean that they are unfortunately.” Said Barnhill.

She says it is the law to wear your life jacket at all times under the age of 14 when out on a motorized boat, kayak, canoe or paddleboard.

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