Getting ready to open your pool? Heading to the beach? Whether it’s the clear, sparkling water of your backyard pool or the beckoning waves of the beach, water means summertime fun. Yet, it can also mean danger, especially for children. Courtesy of Erie Insurance, the following tips may help keep your children safe:

Never allow a child to be alone in the water. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children between one and four years of age. Children should always have an adult supervising their activity in the water.

Keep pools covered. Protector pool covers can keep young children from accidentally entering the water when no adults are around.

Install a childproof gate with an alarm. A childproof gate will prevent most children from entering the pool area. Should the gate be opened, the alarm will sound to alert an adult that someone is in the pool area.

Remove toys from the water. Children may be tempted to go in the water when an adult is not around to retrieve their toys.

Keep life vests on and life preservers within reach. If a young child falls into the pool while playing, a life preserver could save his or her life. And, life vests must be worn on boats and near any pool or other body of water. Swim only in public areas that are staffed with a lifeguard.

Learn and live. Insist that family, friends and babysitters learn CPR. Enroll children in a professional swimming instruction course.

For those of you with a pool, consider a personal catastrophe liability policy, commonly referred as an umbrella policy. Contact us today for further details. Offices conveniently located in Perkasie and Harleysville PA.