The local pool will be the first stop for many people this summer, but even in the midst of splishin’ and splashin’, swimmers may want to be cautious.

According to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, “drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional death of children age 14 and under, taking the lives of nearly 900 children each year.”

To avoid danger in the water, here are a few safety tips.

“Most important, always swim with someone,” Trebor Dukes said. Dukes is a swim instructor and lifeguard at the Selma YMCA. “You never want to swim by yourself.”

As long as you have your pool buddy, he or she can help you or get help from someone else if you have a problem in the pool, Dukes said.

CHOA also advises parents to maintain constant supervision when their kids are swimming, noting, “Recent research by Johnson & Johnson shows that 88 percent of children who drowned were under adult supervision and parents are overconfident about their children’s safety and abilities around water.”

Dukes said making sure children know how to swim is vital, but even that precaution is not foolproof.

“Usually, if they can swim, they know certain tactics to at least get to the side of the pool and pull themselves out,” Dukes said, “but they are still at the same risk as a child who does not know how to swim.”

This is because many drownings occur because of the child getting tired and yet refusing to get out of the pool, or because of the influence of another child during horseplay.

“Don’t climb on each other’s backs, don’t push each other down or hold each other down for the fun of it,” Dukes said, adding that another good safety measure is to check that the pool is clear of other swimmers before jumping in.

CHOA also recommends keeping toilets shut or using toilet locks, as well as eliminating possible hazards such as empty buckets or other large containers. This advice is in light of the fact the danger of drowning is not based on how much water is available.

“Anyone can actually drown in any amount of water if they can’t catch their breath,” Dukes said. “If a child panics, they may not even think to simply stand up, which may save their lives. So the lack of oxygen can drown them.”