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Missoula doctor offers up tips to keep kids safe in the water

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Pool Safety
Local experts are offering some tips on how to keep your kids safe while they are in the water this summer. (MTN News photo)

MISSOULA – Experts are offering some tips on how to keep your kids safe while they are in the water this summer.

The group Safe Kids Missoula advises to make sure kids aren’t swimming alone and that there is always an older more experienced swimmer present every time.

You should also educate your children on the dangers of storm drains and tell kids to steer clear of them. Additionally, having someone present who can perform CPR is a huge advantage to keeping your kids safe.

Children also need your full undivided attention which means avoiding one big distraction.

“We have a new distraction in our culture cell phones and we can get distracted very easily. I’m sometimes one of the bigger ducks in the puddle but I think that when there is a hazard such as water it’s important to put the phones down and really focus on the task at hand and focus on our kids,” said Dr. Robert Roeper with Community Medical Center.

CMC reports that drowning is the leading cause of death for children between the ages of one and four.