The City of Tempe Parks and Recreation division is encouraging the community to be water aware in May during National Water Safety Month, a joint effort of the World Waterpark Association, the American Red Cross, the National Recreation and Park Association and the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance.  

Enjoying water recreational activities together with friends and family is one of life’s great pleasures, especially during the hot summer months. Tragically, in the U.S., drowning is the single leading cause of unintended death for children ages 1 to 4, the second leading cause for kids 4 to 14 and the third for adolescents ages 5 to 17.

But loss of life from drowning can and should be prevented by making sure kids and adults follow these five safety tips: 

• Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim. This includes both adults and children. Tempe offers hundreds of quality affordable swim lessons year-round. Sign up at tempe.gov/play.

• Parents are the first line of defense. If your child is in the water, you should be too. An adult should constantly watch young children swimming, playing or bathing in water. Do not participate in any distracting activities while supervising children around water.

• Wear a life jacket. Adults and kids should always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket while boating. Non-swimmers and inexperienced swimmers should also always wear a life jacket when in and around the water. Inflatable toys can be fun but are not a substitute for U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets.

• Never swim alone or in unsupervised places. Teach your children to always swim with a buddy.

• Look for lifeguards. Be sure the area is well supervised by lifeguards before you or others in your group enter the water.

Tempe helps educate parents and children in staying safe in and around the water. Information can be found at tempe.gov/pools including a proclamation by the State of Arizona recognizing May as Water Safety Month.