VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — At a pool in Virginia Beach on a Monday evening, three-year-old Caleb Rojas was learning how to be safe in the water.
“Knowing that we’re in an area where there’s a lot of water, including in our household, I thought it’d be important," his mother Angel, said.
She had enrolled him in classes with the British Swim School in Virginia Beach. The school teaches water safety for kids from 3 months old up to adults.
She said bathtub safety isn’t something she thought about before having her son.
“I felt like coming to the classes actually opened my mind to the reality that this is something that’s really important," she explained.
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According to the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, most drownings of kids under one year old happen in the home and most of those drownings happen in the bathtub.
Drowning is also the leading cause of death for kids one to four years old according to the CDC.
“It only takes two inches of water to drown," said British Swim School Virginia Beach Franchise Owner Chuck Cassidy.
He said there are a lot of things to think about before putting a child in the bathtub.
“Go and get your things together, whether it’s the towel, the shampoo, the rubber ducky, the diaper, the pajamas," Cassidy said. "Double check the tub. Make sure all the razors, any hairdryers (and) blowdryers on the counter are put away…Watch for sharp edges. Spigots and faucets can be sharp. You can actually buy covers for those.”
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He also emphasized safety shouldn’t stop when bath time ends.
“Don’t leave water in the tub after you’re finished," said Cassidy. "Watch your children don’t go back in there and try to draw a bath themselves.”
“It doesn’t matter how old they are," Rojas' mother said. "You can still talk to them about safe access in the pool and safety when it comes to the water."
