Dr. Beth Ebel’s kids were raised on the water and are strong swimmers. Yet her son found himself tossed into cold Puget Sound when a strong wave upended his craft. His life jacket kept him afloat until he was rescued.
“I've always been a fierce advocate for life jackets on open water,” said Ebel, a pediatrician and injury-prevention specialist with the University of Washington School of Medicine.
“He was in the ocean and the currents were strong and he capsized in his kayak. That life jacket was so important. He could not get back in the kayak, but he was able to stay afloat and stay calm until he was rescued,” she said.
As the Labor Day weekend draws people to shorelines for perhaps the last splash of summer, Ebel offers this reminder to families: Drowning is the No. 1 cause of death among children ages 1 to 4.
“Pediatricians talk about the essential life skills,” she said. “You have to learn to read and write. And you need to learn how to swim. It makes the world more enjoyable, and it keeps you safe.”
Download broadcast-ready soundbites and related multimedia with Ebel.
