BUTTE — It’s summertime here in Montana, and that means people are heading out to the water to escape the heat.
Now, Intermountain Healthcare is partnering with organizations across the state, like Ridge Waters Water Park in Butte, to provide valuable water safety tips.
"I’m fine with the water, but my mom picked it out, but it’s still comfy," says Bristol Dunning, a five-year-old swimmer who wears a life jacket as she splashes in the shallow end.
Dunning says she wears her life jacket when she is at the pool, by the river, or on a boat.
See how early life jacket use can save lives! Click to watch the video and learn more about water safety
Intermountain Healthcare St. James Hospital's Shari Charron, who is on hand at the pool to give water safety tips, says Dunning is a great example of how early use of life vests can lead to good water safety habits for kids.
"The earlier you start, the better. It’s just like wearing a seatbelt in a car. If you start out while they’re young and infants wearing life jackets, it becomes second nature," says Charron.
She says, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control, drowning is the second leading cause of death for youth aged 14 and under, and it is the leading cause of death for children aged one to four years old.
Charron says a properly fitted life jacket saves lives, but having a designated lookout for kids is also important. Charron and Butte-Silver Bow County Aquatics Director Stacey Butler distributed "Water Watcher" lanyards to parents at the pool.
"One of the things we see here fairly frequently is that everybody thinks that somebody is watching the kids. So, I think it’s really great just to have this little reminder that it’s my turn. I’m watching the kids," says Butler.
Along with the team from Intermountain Healthcare St. James Hospital, Butler is on hand to help fit life jackets. After buckling a child's jacket, she yanks on the straps so that the jacket is snug. She says loose-fitting life jackets are something that she and her lifeguards often see at the pool.
After tightening the jacket, Butler gently pulls at the top of the jacket. It barely budges as she explains to the child that once they are in the water, it won't feel as tight.
