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Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death among children ages 1-4, and it is also the leading cause of unintentional, injury-related death among children 19 and under. Therefore, no matter what age and skill level, it’s important to keep a few essential tips in mind:

Supervise children when in and around water. Ensure that young children and weak swimmers are within arm’s reach of an adult.
When there are several adults present, choose one adult to be a water-watcher over young ones. This “water-watcher” is responsible for watching the children for a block of time (i.e. 15 minutes).
Teach children how to swim, because even though every child should be watched while in the water, teaching children how to swim and teaching them water safety education will help them be conscientious of their actions while still being able to have fun in the water.

The importance of water safety for children remains paramount