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Show "TeAUNTO SWIM FOR SUMMER SAFETY Most people do not know how to swim, and that's the basic reason why drowning becomes one of the most important causes of accidental death in ther summer. National Safety Council figures show that about half the drownings each year take place in only three months June, July and August. Drownings show the greatest seasonal increase of any summer hazard. It is a good idea therefore to learn to swim. Learn to swim well. Self-taught "clog paddlers" too often think they are swimmers and overestimate their abilities. Know your limits as a swimmer and stay within them. Never swim alone. Always have help at hand, preferably a lifeguard with the knowledge and equipment equip-ment for rescue. Don't swim after dark for the same I reason. It is too hard for even an'expert to assist you in the dark. i It is dangerous to dive into water of undeter- mined depth. Submerged rocks or logs may knock you out. Sudden plunges into cold water should be avoided. Go in gradually, and remember that you tire faster in cold water. Don't plunge into water when you are overheated, and wait at least an hour after eating. Never jokingly call for help, and don't splash or annoy others who are timid in the water. Horseplay and pranks cause many water accidents each year. Even strong swimmers are subiect to cramrjs and bad guesses on their endurance. If you want to swim for any distance, have someone follow you in a boat. Don't let children take beach balls, inflated animals ani-mals or light rubber rafts in the water. A gust of wind often blows them beyond reach, and in trying to retrieve them, a child may get beyond his depth. This is a point adults should keep in mind, too. And finally, irrigation ditches and canals are a particular hazard to small children. Take every means possible to retrain them from playing near them. If impossible to keep them away or keep your eye on them constantly, see that older children are with them for protection purposes. |