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At pool, sharp eye best way to stay safe

As swimming weather approaches, parents learn how to keep their kids safe around the pool.

By DEAN MULLINS
Published April 11, 2006

LARGO - They called the event "April Pools Day," but the subject - preventing child drownings - could not have been more serious.

Organizers of the annual child safety event at the Southwest Pool in Largo offered lots of practical advice to parents and homeowners Saturday.

"If you have younger children, you need to have a child safety fence," said Mary Batten of the nonprofit group Swim for Life.

Batten of Plant City started the organization in 1999 after her 5-year-old drowned in a residential pool where a gate had been left open.

The Florida Suncoast SAFE KIDS Coalition sponsors child safety events every year, but this is the first time the event focused on drowning prevention.

"Drowning is the No. 1 cause of death for kids under the age of 5 in our state," Largo Mayor Pat Gerard said.

Florida ranks third nationally in drowning deaths, with 119 drownings involving children under age 15 in 2003, according to the Florida Department of Health.

As part of the event, safety experts stressed the need to provide a safe swimming environment and use the proper safety equipment.

The Pinellas County Health Department inspects commercial pools monthly to ensure proper safety equipment is in place. The most common violation is the lack of a self-latching gate on pool fencing, said environmental specialist Sharyn Tucker. Experts say proper fencing is a common problem at residential pools as well.

And even when fencing is in place, other risks remain. Pool safety experts say homeowners should take several precautions. They can install alarms on doors and windows, become certified to perform CPR or install a telephone poolside.

Supervision, though, is key when it comes to pool safety.

"The most important thing we can do is have our eyes on the kids when they're in the water," said Chris Bengivengo, executive chairman of the SAFE KIDS Coalition.

[Last modified April 11, 2006, 02:30:31]