Swimming season is here, and the sounds of people enjoying the water are a sure sign that the summer is really heating up.

But the fun of playing in the water can quickly turn tragic. It’s a reality that hit home last week, when 13-year-old Reese Hanshaw of Burgettstown, Pennsyvania, lost her life after drowning while swimming in the Ohio River near the Veterans Memorial Bridge.

Almost 400 children younger than age 5 drown every year in swimming pool accidents across the country, and more than 3,200 go to a hospital emergency room after a near drowning, statistics show.

A child can drown in 2 inches of water in under five minutes and never make a sound. Children ages 1 to 4 have the highest drowning rates — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more children between those ages die from drowning than any other cause of death except for birth defects.

Children aren’t the only group at risk from drowning — the CDC reports more than 4,500 fatal drownings in the United States each year between 2020 and 2022, 500 more per year than was reported in 2019. That’s an average of 11 every day.

A pool in the backyard is a great way to beat the heat and allow everyone in the family to have fun. But pool owners need to practice safety to ensure everyone in or near the pool remains safe.

Parents can take children to swim classes at an early age. A child should not have to rely upon noodles or other flotation devices to stay above water. Even with swimming classes, young children should never be left alone unsupervised in a pool.

Enjoy the pool or lake this summer — just make sure to play it safe.