beach safety tips

[Guest guest]

This is a good thing to read about if you have kids - work with kids or have

grandkids.

KIDS AT THE BEACH-GETTING LOST & FOUND

Many parents are astonished to discover how quickly their kids disappear at

the beach. A parent can be getting lunch ready, or chatting with another

person, and look up to find one or more kids have wandered off to explore

the beach.

Parents worry about a lost child drowning. While this does happen,

lifeguards generally report that 99.99% of the time the lost child is found

wandering on the beach. The shifting crowds, heat, waves, tides, and the

wind all contribute to wandering children losing their way.

Lifeguards report that:

When you are 3 or 4 feet tall and can only see the underside of umbrellas,

it's easy to get confused because things and people begin to all look alike.

The changing tide along with lots of people coming and going also make it

difficult for a child to figure out where the family is located.

When there's a low tide, more kids get lost because there is more space

between the ocean and the people on the beach.

Kids go with the wind, they are most often found down wind from their

starting location.

If the beach has an arcade or playground, kids often find them.

Here are some new beach safety tips.

Beach Safety Tip #1:

The first thing after you arrive at the beach, take your children over to

the lifeguard station and introduce them. Let your kids know lifeguards are

here to help. If they get lost, your kids should immediately go to a

lifeguard and ask for help.

Lifeguards report children who were taught not to talk to strangers had

difficult times being reunited with their parents. There was one report of a

child who walked for 5 miles because he was taught not to talk to strangers,

and had no way to ask for help.

(You may want to review our information on teaching kids about talking to

strangers)

Beach Safety Tip #2

The second thing you do is orient your child as to where you are. Point out

a building or sign to help them find their way back. Give them a way to

figure out how to return to your location.

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NEW SAFETY TIP: Wristbands Can Help Reunite Kids & Parents

This year Carolina Beach, North Carolina has instituted a new " No Lost

Child " program to help speed up the process of reuniting lost children with

their parents.

When a family arrives at the beach and sets up camp, the local lifeguard

gives each child a durable waterproof wristband that is the same color as

the nearest lifeguard station (the lifeguard stations are painted different

colors.)

When a child is seen wandering on the beach, a lifeguard can check the color

of the wristband and speedily return the child to the proper lifeguard

station, and easily reunite the child with the usually distraught parents.

New Safety Tip:

We suggest you purchase some durable waterproof wristbands for outings to

the beach, the zoo, shopping centers, or stadiums.

You can write your cell phone numbers on each band. If you are at the beach,

you can also write the number of the closest lifeguard station on your

child's wrist band. Officials will then have an easy way to reunite you with

your wandering child.

Be Warned:

Do not write your child's name on the wrist band. Child predators have been

known to read the child's name, then address the child as if they already

knew one another. This is one of the ways predators trick children into

trusting them.

Oh, by the way, we hope you and your family have fun during your summer and

fall excursions.

Dangerous Behaviors

" If any adult or older kid offers you anything without asking me, step way

back, yell, " NO! " , run away,

and tell. " (This applies to candy, pets, treats, job offers,

photographs, rides on motorcycles, etc.)

" If any adult or older kid asks for your help without asking me first, step

way back, yell " NO! " , run away

and tell. " (This applies to mailing a letter, picking something up for

an injured person, approaching a

car to give directions, doing yard work, looking for a lost puppy,

etc.)

" If any adult or old kid asks you to keep a secret, step way back, yell

" NO! " , run away, and tell. "

If any adult or older kid touches your private parts (parts covered by a

swim suit) or asks you to touch

your private parts or somebody else's, step way back, yell " NO! " , run

away and tell. "

Kathy

Mom to DJ 20, Kate 18, 15,

13, Ian 5, and

(11/8/97) Forever in our hearts!

www.Remembering.com