Water Safety

• Always swim with a buddy; do not allow anyone to swim alone, whether at a public pool, lifeguarded beach or open body of water
• Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards
• Always be within an arm’s reach of young children and avoid distractions (like looking at your phone)
• Use U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets for children and inexperienced swimmers, but do not rely on life jackets alone
• If someone is missing, check the water first; many children who drown in home pools were out of sight for less than five minutes and in the care of at least one parent
• Be cautious around natural bodies of water such as ocean shoreline, rivers and lakes; currents and underwater hazards can make a fall into the water dangerous
• If boating, wear a life jacket; most boating fatalities occur from drowning
• Be aware of warning flags at beaches
• Avoid drinking alcohol while in or on the water
• Check the weather before heading out on the water. Storms can spring up quickly in summer months, so be prepared.

Alligators longer than four feet that are a threat to people, pets or livestock

They can seriously injure or kill people and animals

• Do not allow children to play by themselves around bodies of water
• Do not swim at night, at dawn or in the evening when alligators most actively feed
• Do not feed alligators
• Do not kill, poke or try to move alligators
• Do not remove alligators from the wild and make them pets
• Call any Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries office if you have problems with an aggressive or nuisance alligator

• Call any Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries office if you have problems with an aggressive or nuisance alligator

Naegleria fowleri, called the “brain-eating ameba,” is an ameba naturally found in freshwater lakes, rivers and hot springs.

The infection destroys brain tissue, causing brain swelling and death

• When you are bathing, showering or swimming, do not allow water to go up your nose
• Do not jump into or put your head under water
• Only use sterile water for sinus rinses
• Empty, scrub and dry plastic pools after each use
• Run bath and shower faucets and hoses to flush out pipes

• If you are having symptoms or think you've been exposed, see your doctor right away.

Necrotizing fasciitis, called “flesh-eating bacteria,” is a bacterium that enters the body through cuts, insect bites and wounds and spreads quickly.

The infection causes tissue to die at the infection site and beyond

• Avoid swimming with an open cut, wound or skin infection
• Do not swim near a drainage pipe, in a ditch or near runoff
• Avoid swimming after heavy rains
• Shower after swimming

• If you are having symptoms or think you've been exposed, see your doctor right away.