The annual drowning and submersion report released this month by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reminds families to make water safety a priority, particularly as they return to community pools and resume warm-weather activities near water. Child drownings remain the leading cause of unintentional death among children ages one to four years old, according to the CPSC.

Drownings happen quickly, and often they are silent. Drownings are 100 percent preventable, but to prevent these tragedies everyone needs to always follow simple water safety steps:

• Never leave a child unattended in or near water.
• Teach children how to swim.
• Teach children to stay away from drains.
• Ensure all pools and spas — both in your backyard and any public pool you may visit — have compliant drain covers.
• Install proper barriers, covers and alarms on and around your pool and spa.
• Know how to perform CPR on children and adults.

For details on each of these, as well as additional resources like this water safety video, visit the CPSC’s Pool Safely website.