WATER SAFETY INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
The Washington State Drowning Prevention Network promotes water safety and drowning prevention. Find water safety information, life jacket information and coupons on their website.
You can also check out kingcounty.gov/watersafety for useful information on staying safe year long when around the water.
Know the risks –
• King County rivers and lakes are often dangerously cold, causing muscle failure and shock even
for strong swimmers. Even when rivers appear calm and easy, they have tremendous force and other
unseen risks, such as root balls, log jams, and hidden boulders. Sometimes, the safest decision is
not to enter the water.
• Raft rivers with a professional guide who knows how to be safe on the river.
• Not all beaches have lifeguards. Swimming at a beach with a lifeguard present is a safer choice.
Visit King County Area Public Lifeguarded Beaches and Summer Outdoor Pools for a list of which
beaches and pools have lifeguards this season.
• Obey all safety signs, notices, and warning flags, including lake closures due to pollution.
Enhance water safety with swimming skills, life jackets, and vigilance – especially with children:
• Learn to float and tread water for at least 10 minutes. Enroll your children in swim lessons.
Drowning sometimes happens when inexperienced or weaker swimmers try to keep up with more
experienced ones. Talk to kids about swimming risks.
• Wear a lifejacket on or near the water. Always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Toys
like “water wings” and “noodles” are not substitutes for life jackets.
o By law, children 12 years old and younger must wear a U.S. Coast Guard- approved life jacket in a
moving vessel less than 19 feet long.
o You can borrow a life jacket from a life jacket loaner station at these locations:
WA State Parks Life Jacket Loan Program.
o Find a discount for purchasing a lifejacket online at this link.
• Swim where there is a lifeguard – There is a lifeguard shortage, so not all swim
beaches have lifeguards. Check online for a list of beaches and pools with lifeguards.
• Adults should take dedicated turns watching children closely and constantly while near or in the water.
You can also check out kingcounty.gov/watersafety for useful information on staying safe year long when around the water.
Know the risks –
• King County rivers and lakes are often dangerously cold, causing muscle failure and shock even
for strong swimmers. Even when rivers appear calm and easy, they have tremendous force and other
unseen risks, such as root balls, log jams, and hidden boulders. Sometimes, the safest decision is
not to enter the water.
• Raft rivers with a professional guide who knows how to be safe on the river.
• Not all beaches have lifeguards. Swimming at a beach with a lifeguard present is a safer choice.
Visit King County Area Public Lifeguarded Beaches and Summer Outdoor Pools for a list of which
beaches and pools have lifeguards this season.
• Obey all safety signs, notices, and warning flags, including lake closures due to pollution.
Enhance water safety with swimming skills, life jackets, and vigilance – especially with children:
• Learn to float and tread water for at least 10 minutes. Enroll your children in swim lessons.
Drowning sometimes happens when inexperienced or weaker swimmers try to keep up with more
experienced ones. Talk to kids about swimming risks.
• Wear a lifejacket on or near the water. Always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Toys
like “water wings” and “noodles” are not substitutes for life jackets.
o By law, children 12 years old and younger must wear a U.S. Coast Guard- approved life jacket in a
moving vessel less than 19 feet long.
o You can borrow a life jacket from a life jacket loaner station at these locations:
WA State Parks Life Jacket Loan Program.
o Find a discount for purchasing a lifejacket online at this link.
• Swim where there is a lifeguard – There is a lifeguard shortage, so not all swim
beaches have lifeguards. Check online for a list of beaches and pools with lifeguards.
• Adults should take dedicated turns watching children closely and constantly while near or in the water.
Header photo provided by www.freepik.com
