Are lifejackets and swim vests leading to more children drowning?

Drowning is the leading cause of death in children and Mississippi ranks in the top 10 for the most number of drownings in the United States.

Some lifeguards are now saying it could be something people rely on daily in the pool that is increasing those numbers.

It’s summer and children are ready to jump into the pool, and parents

are wondering ‘What life jacket do I buy?”. Well, lifeguards are saying it’s time to take the life jacket off and hop in the pool with your kids.

Colton Copeland, head lifeguard and water safety coach at the Biloxi Natatorium, states that life jackets are not intended to teach anyone how to swim.

“Puddle jumpers (swim vests) and any lifejacket are made to keep you buoyant and your head above the water,” Copeland explained. “They’re good training tools, but they’re made to keep you up and down vertical, not horizontal in the water.”

Life jackets can create a false sense of confidence, leading children to make risky decisions.

“If they’re used to having one on and they’re used to being able to move around safely in the water with one on,” Copeland said. “they’re still going to have that confidence of ‘I can swim.’ and they’re going to try to jump in the pool.”

Children will then go straight into what they know – an upright position, feet down, and arms flailing – like they learned while wearing a life jacket. This is known as the “drowning position”.

Copeland says the best way to keep your kid safe is to teach them to swim and make sure they understand what the water is like without a swim aid.

“Even with the puddle jumper on, you can still work with them and teach them proper technique,” he said. “Take it off here and there and work with them while supporting your child so they don’t always have that false sense of confidence. Because it is important for a child to know that if you do not know how to swim, you could drown, be harmed, or injured.”

Everyone should wear a Coast Guard-approved lifejacket in open bodies of water, because, unlike the pool, those are uncontrolled environments.

Biloxi Natatorium, Ocean Spring YMCA, and the Biloxi Kroc Center are only a few places offering public swim lessons this summer!