From the relaxing beaches of Lake Mead to the world class swimming pools of the Strip, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the water in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, this means more opportunities for accidents such as drowning and swimming pool injuries. As part of National Water Safety Month, the Las Vegas personal injury lawyers at ER Injury Attorneys share five essential safety tips to keep you and your family safe while you’re enjoying the water.
Follow These Five Tips to Maximize Your Swimming Safety
While swimming is generally safe, the activity poses many potential dangers that can lead to serious injuries. Many people are surprised to learn that numerous water injuries are suffered by people that aren’t even swimming. For example, some of the accident victims our Las Vegas injury attorneys have represented were hurt while leisurely floating in water or lounging at a raucous pool club, like Wet Republic.
The good news is that the majority of water injuries are highly preventable through simple safety measures. The five tips below are easy and effective things that you can do to increase your water safety. Please share them with your friends and family.
1) Wear a USCG-Approved Life Jacket
A proper life vest is a must for people that do not know how to swim or are poor swimmers. While children’s arm floaties and inflatable flotation devices can help, they are a poor substitute for a USCG-approved life jacket. Even if you plan on staying in shallow water, a life vest can make the difference between life and death. There have been instances of people drowning in inches of water. One of the best things that you can do for National Water Safety Month is to make sure that everyone in your family that needs one has a well-fitting life-jacket.
2) Always Check Your Surroundings
It’s always important to check your surroundings, especially if you’re swimming in a public beach or pool. Swimming pool areas can be full or large or sharp objects that can cause major lacerations and broken bones. If you’re enjoying the water at Lake Mead, wade in slowly. Lake beds are constantly shifting and a sudden drop in depth can lead to a drowning accident.
3) Protect Your Feet
Protecting your feet is vital, especially if you’re swimming at a Las Vegas dayclub or pool party. These venues serve alcoholic beverages, many of which are served in glass bottles or drinkware. While some pool clubs use plastic drinkware, some customers sneak in their own bottles of beer or hard seltzer. A server or drunk patron can drop a bottle, leaving shards of glass that can cause severe wounds. Wearing flip-flops or water shoes can help make sure that you avoid getting cut by glass.
4) Never Swim Alone
While the swimming pools on the Las Vegas Strip have lifeguards, there are many places to swim that do not. If you plan on swimming in a private pool or secluded swimming area, then make sure that you have at least one able adult with you, in case of an emergency. For example, pulling a muscle or getting cut while swimming can lead to a more serious injury, such as brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation or hitting your head on a hard surface. Swimming with other able adults is vital, so that someone can assist you in the event of an injury or call emergency services.
5) Keep a Close Eye on Your Children
One of the best things you can do for National Water Safety Month is to emphasize adult supervision. Many children are weak swimmers or do not know how to swim at all. They may get overly excited while playing and tire out quickly, which can lead to a drowning injury. Our Las Vegas injury attorneys recommend having an adult that knows CPR keep a watchful eye on your kids.
Celebrate National Water Safety Month
The team at ER Injury Attorneys hopes that you celebrate National Water Safety Month by having a blast at a swimming pool or beach. Please follow the five safety tips above to make sure that you do so safely. Unfortunately, accidents will happen no matter how safe you’re being. If you or someone in your family was hurt in a swimming accident caused by another party, then contact us for immediate assistance.
ER Injury Attorneys is available to assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us by phone at 702-878-7878 and online through LiveChat or encrypted contact form. ER Injury Attorneys represents accident victims throughout Southern Nevada, including Henderson, Summerlin, Pahrump, Boulder City, Laughlin, and beyond. Reach out to us today to get the compensation and service that you deserve.