Water safety begins long before anyone enters the water. Every year, thousands of drowning incidents and water-related injuries can be prevented through swimming education, active supervision, water safety awareness, and responsible decision-making. The American Lifeguard Association® (ALA) has spent more than 35 years promoting water safety through professional lifeguard certification, public education, community outreach, and support for learn-to-swim initiatives across the United States.
Whether you are a parent, grandparent, teacher, coach, camp director, pool operator, aquatic professional, or future lifeguard, learning water safety skills is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of drowning and help protect your family and community.
Drowning remains one of the leading causes of unintentional injury-related death among young children and continues to affect teenagers and adults every year. Most drowning incidents occur quickly, quietly, and often within only a few feet of safety. The encouraging news is that the vast majority of these tragedies are preventable through education, supervision, swimming ability, barriers, life jackets, CPR knowledge, and certified lifeguards.
Water safety education teaches people how to:
Learning water safety isn’t just about swimming—it’s about making smart decisions before, during, and after entering the water.
Safe swimming begins with preparation.
Before entering a swimming pool, lake, river, ocean, waterpark, or other aquatic environment, everyone should evaluate:
Many emergencies can be prevented simply by recognizing hazards before entering the water.
One of the simplest—and most effective—ways to prevent drowning is to assign a designated Water Watcher.
A Water Watcher is a responsible adult whose only responsibility is actively supervising swimmers. Unlike casual supervision, this person gives their full attention to the water without distractions.
A designated Water Watcher should:
Families should rotate Water Watcher duties every 15 to 30 minutes to maintain alertness.
Many drowning incidents occur while several adults are nearby because each assumes someone else is watching the children. A designated Water Watcher eliminates confusion and provides continuous supervision.
Learning to swim is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of drowning.
Swimming lessons help children and adults become more comfortable and confident around water while developing essential survival skills.
A complete swimming education should include:
Swimming lessons should begin early and continue as skills improve throughout life.
The American Lifeguard Association proudly supports LearnToSwimAmerica.com, a nonprofit initiative dedicated to expanding access to swimming instruction and water safety education for children and families throughout the United States.
Learn to Swim America™ works to eliminate financial and educational barriers that prevent children from learning this lifesaving skill. Through partnerships with certified instructors, community organizations, schools, aquatic facilities, and volunteers, the program provides affordable, high-quality swimming instruction while promoting lifelong water safety habits.
The initiative helps families learn:
The American Lifeguard Association believes every child deserves the opportunity to learn how to swim regardless of financial circumstances.
By supporting LearnToSwimAmerica.com, individuals, businesses, schools, and community organizations help expand access to swimming lessons and contribute to drowning prevention nationwide.
Whenever possible, choose swimming pools, beaches, lakes, and waterparks staffed by certified professional lifeguards.
Professional lifeguards:
The presence of trained lifeguards provides an additional layer of protection that can significantly improve emergency outcomes.
Even experienced swimmers should never swim alone.
Swimming with a companion provides immediate assistance if an emergency develops.
Children should always be supervised by responsible adults, and adults should also avoid swimming alone—especially in open water or unfamiliar environments.
Life jackets save lives.
Children, inexperienced swimmers, boaters, paddleboarders, kayakers, canoeists, and anglers should wear properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets whenever appropriate.
Inflatable toys, water wings, and pool floats should never be considered lifesaving devices or substitutes for supervision.
Alcohol impairs judgment, balance, coordination, and reaction time.
Whether swimming, boating, supervising children, or participating in water sports, avoiding alcohol significantly improves safety and decision-making around water.
Before swimming, always check:
Leave the water immediately if thunder or lightning is observed or heard.
Young children require constant, uninterrupted supervision whenever they are near water.
Parents and caregivers should:
No child is ever “drown-proof,” regardless of swimming ability.
Water safety does not end with prevention. Even with excellent supervision, emergencies can still occur.
Every parent, grandparent, babysitter, teacher, coach, camp counselor, pool owner, and caregiver should learn CPR.
Professional emergency responders may require several minutes to arrive. During those critical first moments, immediate CPR can dramatically improve the chances of survival for victims of drowning or sudden cardiac arrest.
Adults responsible for supervising children should know:
Learning CPR is one of the most important steps every family can take to prepare for unexpected emergencies around water.
Residential swimming pools require multiple layers of protection.
ALA recommends:
Most residential drowning incidents occur quickly and quietly when adults mistakenly believe another person is watching the child.
Lakes, rivers, and oceans present hazards not typically found in swimming pools.
Open-water swimmers should understand:
Whenever possible, swim in designated swimming areas protected by lifeguards.
Whether boating, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, sailing, or fishing, always:
Safe boating begins before leaving the dock.
Professional lifeguards do much more than rescue swimmers.
They prevent emergencies by:
The best rescue is the one that never has to happen because a dangerous situation was prevented.
For more than 35 years, the American Lifeguard Association has promoted drowning prevention through lifeguard certification, CPR/AED training, First Aid education, aquatic risk management, community outreach, and national water safety initiatives. We proudly support LearnToSwimAmerica.com because expanding access to swimming lessons and water safety education is one of the most effective long-term strategies for reducing drowning and building safer communities.
Our mission extends beyond certifying lifeguards. We are committed to helping every child and adult develop the knowledge, confidence, and skills needed to safely enjoy aquatic environments throughout life.
Every drowning prevented represents a life protected, a family spared unimaginable loss, and a community made safer. Through water safety education, swimming lessons, active supervision, designated Water Watchers, CPR-trained adults, certified lifeguards, and initiatives such as LearnToSwimAmerica.com, we can dramatically reduce preventable water-related tragedies.
The American Lifeguard Association® remains committed to promoting water safety, supporting learn-to-swim programs, advancing professional aquatic education, and helping people of all ages enjoy the water safely for a lifetime.
The American Lifeguard Association has been approved for the Capital One Affiliate Program! for Tuition Assistance Loan
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