![A child’s swimsuit color can determine his or her safety in the water.](/sites/default/files/styles/400_x_202/public/2024-07/N29548_Bathing%20Suit%20Color%20Caution%20-%20Blog.jpg?h=bf654dbc&itok=BgTjLfde&cb=9f63e7ec)
Summer always brings a multitude of articles on water safety, many of them directed at parents or guardians of young children. It’s important information and deserves our attention, but much of the guidance is expected. This season, however, there are critical new insights being shared.
A company called Alive Solutions has conducted research on the impact that a child’s swimsuit color can have on his or her safety in the water. The company specializes in aquatic safety, training and risk assessment and its warnings regarding swimsuit colors are eye-opening.
Alive Solutions tested 14 swimsuits in a variety of colors in both a pool and a lake. The swimsuits were tested on the surface of the water and also at a depth of about 18 inches. The company also tested the visibility of the swimsuits in specific situations designed to replicate how a lifeguard or care provider might view them in real life: viewed from the shore of a lake, for instance, and viewed from a dock or boat.
The results were concerning, to say the least.