Water Safety for Families New to the United States

Welcome. Water safety in the United States comes down to a few habits: watch young children closely near any water, swim only where a lifeguard is on duty, call 911 in an emergency (you can get an interpreter), and learn to swim. Free swim lessons are available for children and adults in many places, including New York City.

This page uses simple words so you can share it with family and friends.

Water in your new home

For young children, many of the biggest dangers are at home. The CPSC's 2026 report says 71% of reported pool and spa drowning deaths of children under 15 (2021-2023) happened at a home (opens in a new tab).

• Small amounts of water are dangerous. A young child can drown in as little as 2 inches of water (opens in a new tab), quickly and silently.
• Bathtubs. The CPSC says about two-thirds of children who drown inside the home drown in bathtubs. Stay with your child for the whole bath.
• Buckets and tubs. Empty them right after use. The AAP says never leave a filled, open-top container of water alone, and to empty containers (opens in a new tab) that collect rainwater.
• Pools. Many homes and buildings have pools. The AAP says pools should have a fence on all four sides with a self-closing, self-latching gate.
• If a child is missing, check the water first. The CPSC says most children who drowned in pools or spas had been missing for 5 minutes or less.

Use our home checklist to look around your home together:

How U.S. pools and beaches work

Lifeguards. Lifeguards are trained staff who watch swimmers at public pools and beaches. The National Weather Service says to swim only at a beach with lifeguards (opens in a new tab), and only when they are on duty. If there is no lifeguard, it says, "When in doubt, don't go out."

You still watch your children. Pool Safely says parents should still be Water Watchers when a lifeguard is on duty (opens in a new tab), because lifeguards may not see the whole pool. A Water Watcher is an adult who watches the children in the water and does nothing else: no phone, no reading.

Signs and flags. Beaches post rules at the entrance. Some use colored flags to show danger, but the National Weather Service says flags aren't used at every beach and their meaning can change from place to place (opens in a new tab). Read the signs, or ask the lifeguard.

Pool skills are not ocean skills. The National Weather Service says swimming in a pool is not the same as swimming at a surf beach, where waves, wind and currents can quickly use up your energy.

Life jackets. The CDC says children should wear life jackets for all activities in and around natural water (opens in a new tab), like lakes, rivers and the ocean. Toys like water wings are not safety devices.

New York City families can read our guide to NYC beach safety.

Calling 911, and getting help in your language

Call 911 for any emergency: someone in trouble in the water, someone not breathing, a missing child, a fire or a crime.

• You can get an interpreter. In New York City, 911 uses interpreters. The NYPD's Language Access Plan (opens in a new tab) says its interpreter service handled calls in 99 languages in 2020. Stay on the line.
• Say where you are. Give the address, cross streets and borough. At a park or beach, say its name and what you can see nearby.
• Text only if you can't call. In New York City, you can text 911 in English or Spanish (opens in a new tab), but the city says always call if you can.
• 988 is for emotional support. Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (opens in a new tab), any time. Calls have interpreters in more than 240 languages. NYC 988 (opens in a new tab) offers counseling in more than 200 languages through interpreters, and New York City's Health Department has said that callers are never asked about immigration status (opens in a new tab).

Our guide to calling 911 near water has more tips, including how to teach children to call.

Free swim lessons and programs

Learning to swim is one of the best gifts you can give your family, at any age.

In New York City:

• NYC Parks Learn to Swim (opens in a new tab) classes are free, by lottery, for tots, children, adults and seniors.
• Indoor classes need a recreation center membership (opens in a new tab). It is free for anyone 24 and under, $25 a year for seniors 62 and over, veterans and people with disabilities, and $150 a year for adults 25 to 61. IDNYC card holders 25 to 61 get 10% off.
• In summer, NYC Parks outdoor pools are free (opens in a new tab), with free lessons for children.
• The YMCA of Greater New York offers free lessons for children (opens in a new tab) through New York State's NY SWIMS initiative. Ask your local YMCA branch.

Our guide to free swim lessons in NYC lists more programs.

Outside New York City: the AAP says many YMCAs, parks and recreation departments, schools and community groups (opens in a new tab) offer free or low-cost lessons, especially in summer. Use our Swim lesson finder.

Learn at home: the Red Cross has free short online courses (opens in a new tab) for parents in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole.

Dangers that change with the seasons

Summer: beaches and rip currents. Rip currents are strong currents that pull swimmers away from shore. The National Weather Service says they often form on calm, sunny days (opens in a new tab). If you are caught in one, the National Weather Service says to relax, don't swim against it, and swim out of it, then to shore (opens in a new tab). If you can't escape, float or tread water and yell or wave for help. Swim near a lifeguard.

Storms: floodwater. The National Weather Service says over half of flood-related drownings happen when a vehicle is driven into hazardous flood water (opens in a new tab). Its message is "Turn Around Don't Drown": it is never safe to drive or walk into flood waters, and just 6 inches of fast-moving water can knock over an adult. Families in basement apartments should read our guide to flash flood safety at home.

Winter: ice and cold water. Frozen lakes and ponds may look solid, but the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says there is no such thing as 100 percent safe ice (opens in a new tab). Cold water is dangerous even in spring and fall: sudden cold water can cause gasping and fast breathing (opens in a new tab) that makes swimming very hard.

What you can do today

• Walk through your home with the checklist above.
• Teach everyone in your family to say your address in English.
• Ask at a library, school or community center about free swim lessons.
• If you are in NYC, sign up for the next NYC Parks Learn to Swim lottery.
• Share this page with another family who is new to the U.S.