A pool can be cool and inviting as those long days become hotter.
While it can be an escape from the summer heat, it comes with responsibility.
"Keep a close eye on your child," Sarah Landreneau, instructor with City of Lafayette Aquatics, said. "Seventy percent of preschool age kids drown with both parents there. Especially those little pools, people think it's not too big, I can run inside. It's important to remember that it only take one inch of water for someone to drown."
Landreneau said that some people get a false sense of security when they let their children play around water.
"Floaties provide a false sense of security because they can fall forward, back, and slip out," Landreneau said. "The most important thing is their learning skills to swim. It may be a challenge this summer...you at home as a parent can work with them on things. Even if they are a good swimmer--some parents make that mistake and say, "my kid knows how to swim because they've taken a lot of swim lessons." They let them go and you really got to monitor the kids."
For parent Beth Resweber, a competitive swimmer for most of her life, making sure her son knew how to swim was at the top of her list.
"You have your to do list about what is the best thing for your child," Resweber explained. "Making sure their hands are washed and making sure they're doing the right thing. A lot of parents don't realize that water safety for their child should be on that checklist. The best thing for us was getting our son, Brooks, in lessons at a young age and getting him adapted to the water."
Despite teaching him how to swim at a young age--Resweber said she is never overconfident in her son. She said she knows that anything could happen at any moment.
"It doesn't take that long," Resweber said. "It takes 30 seconds for a child to drown. Just being aware of your surroundings and having a buddy with you at all times; never swim alone and have a lifeguard around you at all times is the best thing to do."
COLA is still going to host it's annual Water Safety Day on Saturday, May 9th. This year the event will be a drive thru event and take place at the COLA pool located on Petroleum Drive.
Call: (337 ) 989-1800 or visit www.colaswim.org for more information.