Keep Kids Safe This Summer at the Pool or Beach

Published on May 28, 2025

Three moms each holding one small baby in a pool getting ready to teach them to swim/be safe in the water.

The Melbourne Fire Department reminds residents to make water safety a priority this summer.

Pool Safety

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. (The City of Melbourne will be offering swim lessons all summer. Please see our Pools page for details.)
  • 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. 

Beach Safety

Ocean swimming requires different skills and strength than pool swimming. Keep your family safe by following these additional safety tips from the American Red Cross:

  • Always swim in a lifeguarded area.
  • Never swim alone, regardless of your age or level of swimming skills.
  • Keep within your fitness and swimming capabilities.
  • Be aware of weather and water conditions and heed warnings.

More beach and ocean safety tips can be found on the American Red Cross website. 

Rip Currents

Illustration showing how to escape a rip current with text that says Rip Currents: Know Your Options

Rip currents are areas of fast-moving water that have the potential to pull swimmers out and away from the beach. 

Be sure to follow these rip current safety tips from Brevard County Ocean Rescue:

  • Check flags and with lifeguards to assess the risk of rip currents.
  • Never swim alone.
  • Be rip current wary. Look for darker or lighter areas that are calmer than surrounding waves. These can be indicators of rip currents.
  • If you are caught in a rip current, stay calm and float or tread water until the current weakens, then swim parallel to the shoreline to get out of the rip current. Once you are free of the current, you can swim to shore.
  • If you are unable to help yourself, wave or yell for help.
  • Only swim at a beach where lifeguards are present. 

For more information, see this Rip Current and Beach Safety video from Brevard County Ocean Rescue.  

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