06/12/2026
70% of drownings happen during non-swim times. What does this mean?
A child may fall into a pool unexpectedly. Or they might go back to the water alone after a fun day of swimming. A child may elope and be drawn to the water. Whatever the reason, drowning during non-swim times can be preventable.
‼️Remember the layers of protection:
▪ Active adult supervision whenever children are near water
▪ Pool safety, such as four-sided fencing with self-latching gates, pool covers, and barriers
▪ Water safety education, teach children to swim and how to stay safe in the water
▪ Life jackets, especially for children who lack swimming skills
▪ CPR and first aid training for caregivers
Alone, each layer can be effective. But together, bundled with other layers, offers the best protection against childhood drowning.
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Columbia County Public Health is pleased to offer a limited number of FREE life jackets to young children in Columbia County through our summer safety program! 🛟
We offer infant, child, and youth sized life jackets. If your young kiddo is in need of a life jacket this summer, please fill out the short form listed at the end of this post with your contact information and life jacket size(s) needed.
To help serve as many families as possible, we kindly ask that requests be limited to ✨3 life jackets per household✨ If you have a larger family or special circumstances, please reach out.
Form for free life jacket: https://www.cognitoforms.com/ColumbiaCountyPublicHealth1/ColumbiaCountyLifeJacketOrderForm
