Babies, Toddlers and Water: Your Questions
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children 1 to 4. Answers on touch supervision, life jackets, swim lessons and keeping toddlers away from water.
Questions and answers
Short, sourced answers to the questions families ask most.
Beach Safety: Your Questions
Swim only where a lifeguard is on duty, learn the local flag colors and check the surf forecast. Answers on beach flags, NYC beaches, kids and shore break.
Boating, Kayaking and Paddleboarding: Your Questions
Wear a life jacket, file a float plan and skip alcohol on the water. Answers on New York boating rules, kayaks, paddleboards and falls overboard.
Children and Grief: Your Questions
Children grieve too, often in short bursts and in play. Answers on telling a child about a death, funerals, school, grief camps and when to get help.
Cold Water and Ice: Your Questions
Cold water shock can make even strong swimmers gasp and drown in the first minutes. Answers on the 1-10-1 rule, ice thickness, hypothermia and rescue.
CPR and Water Rescue: Common Questions
If someone is drowning, shout for help, call 911 and reach or throw something that floats. Don't go in. Answers on CPR, rescue and aftercare.
Drowning Facts: Common Questions Answered
About 4,000 people a year die from drowning in the U.S., and children 1 to 4 are at highest risk. Sourced answers on who drowns, where and why.
Lakes, Rivers and Open Water: Your Questions
Lakes and rivers are not pools: currents, drop-offs, cold water and poor visibility. Answers on safe places to swim, dams, quarries, algae and docks.
Learning to Swim as an Adult: Your Questions
It is never too late to learn to swim. About 40 million U.S. adults can't swim. Where to find adult lessons, what to wear and which skills matter.
Life Jackets: Your Questions
Choose a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket for the wearer's weight and activity, and make sure it fits snugly. Answers on sizes, types and laws.
Losing a Sibling: Your Questions
Losing a brother or sister changes your world, and your grief deserves support. Gentle, sourced answers on coping, guilt, anniversaries and finding help.
Pool Safety: Common Questions
A four-sided pool fence at least 4 feet high with a self-closing, self-latching gate is the single most proven layer. Sourced answers on pool safety.
Rip Currents: Your Questions Answered
A rip current pulls you away from shore, not under. Relax, float, then swim out of it along the beach. Sourced answers on spotting and escaping rips.
Schools, Camps and Communities: Your Questions
Schools, camps, faith groups and neighbors can teach water safety for free. Answers on lesson plans, camp questions, workshops and supporting rescuers.
Sibling Relationships: Your Questions
Sibling fights are normal, and parents can help brothers and sisters grow close. Research-based answers on rivalry, new babies, favoritism and birth order.
Swim Lessons: Questions Parents Ask
Most children can start swim lessons after their first birthday, depending on readiness. Answers on age, cost, instructors and what lessons can do.
Teens and Water Safety: Your Questions
Teens may overestimate their swimming skills and misjudge open water. Answers on why teens drown, alcohol, cliff jumping, CPR and helping a friend.
Vacation Water Safety: Your Questions
Rental pools have no lifeguards, and new water brings new hazards. Answers on checking a rental pool, hotel pools, beaches away from home and family trips.
Water Safety at Home: Your Questions
A young child can drown in 2 inches of water, in the tub, a bucket or a toilet. Sourced answers on bath time, supervision and home water hazards.
Water Safety for Every Ability: Your Questions
People with autism or epilepsy face higher drowning risks, and adaptive lessons and layered barriers help. Sourced answers for families of every ability.