A veteran lifeguard asked parents to follow a clear-blue water safety rule: Don't buy children blue bathing suits.
"Never wear a blue swimsuit — bright colors are always best!" Wyatt Werneth, a lifeguard of 28 years and a public service spokesperson for the American Lifeguard Association, told TODAY. "Putting your kids in a bright color would help us identify in a crowd. Blue blends in with the water, making them harder to see."
A 2021 test by water safety company ALIVE Solutions Inc, also found that blue swimsuits were not as visible in water.
The company tested swimsuits of different colors in both pools and open water to test visibility.
"Our bottom two colors are white and light blue (check out how they disappear) and our top choices would be neon pink and neon orange," the company said in a post about the pool results.
"Although the darker colors show up on a light pool bottom they can often be dismissed for a pile of leaves, dirt, or a shadow so I tend to stay away from those colors when possible," the post read. "Increase that visibility...think bright and contrasting!"
Researchers also looked at how swimsuits appear in 18 inches of lake water. "Visibility was pretty much zero at 2 (feet) for all colors in this environment. The lake bottom was a brownish/grey color, and it was partly sunny outside," the company said. "Top colors were neon yellow/green/orange."
Werneth shared 4 other moves he would not make when swimming.
- Never go swimming without a lifeguard either onsite or nearby. "Especially when at the beach, don’t pick a spot to swim that is far away from the lifeguards," said Werneth. "Always try to swim in front of a lifeguard so they can see you better. If you get into trouble, you don’t want to make it harder for them to see you need help, nor get to you."
- Never dive into a body of water headfirst. "This is especially important in any unknown water sources (such as) oceans, ponds or lakes," he said. "If you don’t know the depths nor the dangers that could be lurking under the water (like rocks or logs), then just be safe and head in feet-first."
- Never host a pool party at your house without a lifeguard. "Or, don’t host a pool party without a 'lifeguard plan,'" said Werneth. "Assign 'water watchers' and don’t have parents drinking or on their phones.
He added, "Just like a designated driver, somebody needs to be designated to watch the pool. Additionally, make sure someone on site has CPR skills if an accident does occur."
- Never assume your lifeguard is a babysitter. "If your kids are in the pool, go in the pool," he said. "Your job is watching water. The other staff is looking for kids. We have to have all hands on deck. (And) don’t ever leave your kids in the pool while you run to the bathroom or get food."