Summer fun in the sun often means fun in the water, too. Whether you’ll be hitting the pool, lake, or beach this season, there are some crucial safety tips your family should know.

When the perceived level of danger is low, it results in lower levels of vigilance. For example, a child may be in relatively shallow water in the ocean, but if knocked to the ground by a wave and struck in the head, a drowning can occur in only inches of water.
It’s especially important to keep water safety tips top of mind when your family is going on a vacation that will put children in a new, unfamiliar environment.

Here are the top water-safety tips to remember:

1. Don’t Leave Children Unattended.
You might be tempted to quickly step away or do a few chores while your little one is playing, but it’s so important to never leave small children alone or in the care of another child in pools, spas, or even the bathtub.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, an adult should be only an arm’s length away when infants, toddlers, and weak swimmers are in or around water. Swimmers of all ages should never swim alone; always use the buddy system, even at a public pool or lifeguarded beach.

2.  Be extra vigilant during gatherings with lots of adults.
Dr. Timothy Cheslock, emergency medicine specialist at Florida Hospital Waterman, explained why even social gatherings with lots of adults around to supervise can be dangerous. “When supervising children in the water, the following anecdote holds true: if it’s everyone’s job, it’s no one’s job,” he said.

“At social gatherings, assign specific adult(s) to do nothing but supervise children in the water.  Wearing a laminated card on a lanyard around the neck easily identifies who is responsible, and the card may be passed off to another adult if it breaks or shift changes are needed,” said Cheslock.

3. Don’t rely on pool floats or water wings.
It’s important to remember that while pool floats can be helpful and fun, they are not considered life-saving devices.
“Never rely on water wings, flotation devices, or even lifejackets to save a child,” says Dr. Cheslock. “These aids are considered to be just that — aids — not replacements for supervising adults.”
But when boating, ensure everyone on the watercraft has an appropriately-sized lifejacket in case someone should fall overboard.

4.  Swim Near the Lifeguard
Even if you feel they are strong swimmers, children should always stay within sight of you and a lifeguard. Give them boundaries within the pool limits to keep them from swimming too far away or toward the deep end.  
When at the beach, stay near the guard station. Older swimmers should know what to do in case of rip currents — swim parallel to the shore until out of the current, then swim back to the shore. Young children should only enter the ocean with an adult to avoid being overtaken by unpredictable waves.

5. Prepare the pool for kids
 If you have a pool and are hosting family, or will be visiting a relative who has a pool, you should take extra precautions to protect children from the water.  Using a pool alarm, secured fence or barricades is a good start.

6. Make time for Swim Lessons
Golden Triangle YMCA offers swim lessons for children of all ages. Remember that regardless of how many lessons your kids have had, being in water can challenge their skills and become overwhelming at a moment’s notice. It’s important to always stay nearby.
As young swimmers get more confident, they may be excited to jump in the pool. Teach kids to ask permission before entering any water so you are always ready to supervise when they do.

7.  Learn CPR.
In the event of an emergency, call 911 immediately. But performing CPR when someone is pulled from the water can save their life in the time it takes for EMS to arrive. Read up on hands-only CPR here, or take time to attend a training class especially for pediatric CPR.

“When drowning occurs, the time to initiation of CPR is a key determinant of clinical outcome,” stressed Dr. Cheslock. “The sooner the drowning is interrupted, the more timely and effective the resuscitative efforts are, and the more likely the person is to do well. Pre-hospital and bystander CPR are critical to saving lives.”

8.  Be attentive.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by an upcoming trip to the pool or beach, remember that preparation and attentiveness are key to keeping the kids safe and healthy while they’re having fun. Relax, don’t multitask, and focus on making fun summer memories with the family.

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Summer’s here, so dust off the picnic basket and head to your favorite Lake County park.  Before spreading your blanket at Wooton Park, Trimble Park, Gilbert Park or any other lakefront gem, here’s some tips to help pack a healthier basket. 
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​1. Tap into summer’s bounty.
Take plenty of chopped veggies as a crunchy alternative to chips and pack berries, watermelon slices and frozen grapes for a refreshing.   Try broccoli slaw, tossed with a low-fat poppy seed dressing, instead of traditional slaw.

2. Salad alternatives
Using oil and vinegar dressings (less oil, more vinegar) not only cuts back on fat, but the acid keeps food safer. Try a light and refreshing English cucumber salad.

3. Healthier indulgences for your sweet tooth
​If fresh fruit doesn’t satisfy your cravings, keep bite-sized desserts or angel food cake topped with fresh berries and a bit of light whipped cream on ice.

​It's rapidly becoming a favorite season of the year.  This year’s blueberry season kicked off the first week in April and is expected to continue through May.    

The growing number of local u-pick farms currently has prices that range from $4 to $8 per pound for the sweet and nutritious treat.  Eager blueberry lovers should pick to their heart’s content since blueberries are widely considered a ‘super food’ that’s low in calories and high in nutrients and antioxidants.  
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Here's the list of local U-Pick blueberry farms and their current price per pound and u-pick hours:

Atwood Family Farm
25079 SE Hwy 450, Umatilla, 352-630-0145
$4 per pound u-pick,  $5 per pound pre-picked.
U-pick  hours: Weekends 8:30-4.  Weekdays as available. 

Blue Bayou Farms (organic)
8222 CR 48, Yalaha, 352-267-5277
$5 per pound u-pick or $7 per pound pre-picked.  
U-pick Hours:  9-5pm daily, except Monday.

Far Reach Ranch Heavenly Blueberries
1255 South Dora Blvd., Tavares, 352-343-7389 
$4 per pound u-pick, $5.50 per pound pre-picked.
U-pick hours: Wed.-Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-4.
Other offerings:  A variety of blueberry jams, blueberry salsa and local honey.

King Grove Organic Farm 
19741 CR 44A, Eustis, 352-589-2469
$8 per pound u-pick.
U-pick hours are very limited, so call ahead.

Promise Farms
36777 CR 44A, Eustis, 352-408-1988
$5 per pound u-pick or $7 per pound pre-picked.
U-pick hours: Mon.-Sat. 9-3. Closed on Sunday.

Sand Hill Blueberries
31614 Bottany Woods Dr., Eustis, 352-636-8204
$4 per pound u-pick or $6 per pound pre-picked.
Other offerings:  Picnic area, hamburgers and hotdogs on weekends, swings, horseshoes.

Due to weather, field and berry conditions, u-pick hours and pricing can change, so it's recommended pickers call the farm prior to visiting.

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When Joanne Phillipp, of Mount Dora, went for her regular check-up with her primary care physician, she felt good with the exception of chronic acid reflux symptoms.

“My physician had been treating my GERD (gastroesophogeal reflux disease) for a while with medication,” explains Phillipp.  “All of my lab tests were coming back normal and my blood pressure was perfect, but he referred me to a cardiologist to schedule a heart catheterization as the definitive test. A few days before my scheduled cath, I started to feel a little off.  I was worried and felt like I should go to the ER.”

Phillipp listened to her instincts and went to the emergency department at Florida Hospital Waterman. An emergency heart catheterization showed multiple blockages in her coronary arteries and immediate surgery was recommended by cardiothoracic surgeon, Gary Allen, MD.

“Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a surgical option for people who have severe coronary artery disease, a condition in which plaque builds up in the coronary arteries and reduces blood flow to the heart muscle,” explained Allen.

Bypass surgery typically requires the chest to be opened surgically, and a heart-lung bypass machine is used to circulate the blood and add oxygen while the heart is stopped during the grafting procedure. For some patients, off pump surgery may be an option. With this less invasive technique, the heart muscle is slowed with medication but is still beating during the procedure, circulating blood and oxygen on its own without the need for a heart-lung bypass machine.
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Phillipp had off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting surgery in early October and today she is back to playing catch with her grandson and planning to run in an Easter 5K sponsored by her church every year.

“I feel fantastic and I am very grateful,” says Phillipp. “I now know that women experience very different symptoms of heart attacks. The sharp pains and discomfort that I was attributing to my GERD were in fact symptoms of an impending attack. I don’t care how foolish you think you are being, if you feel like things aren’t right then mention it to your doctor right away. My doctors saved my life.”

Find a local heart specialist here. 

​For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis,  download the area's free mobile app. ​ Free subscriptions to the monthly issue of Mount Dora Buzz are available here.

“I was in the hospital a total of seven weeks and most of that time was spent doing physical therapy and healing my wounds,” says Simmons. “The discoloring of my legs that the physicians noticed was actually the infection spreading through my bloodstream. I was left with nerve damage in my legs and feet from the lack of oxygen to my extremities during the infection. At one point I was facing possibly amputation of several limbs but thankfully it never came to that point.”
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Today, she is passionate about sharing her story and educating others on the importance of recognizing early signs of sepsis. Until her diagnosis, Simmons had never heard of the condition.
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“I shouldn’t be here today. I was given a 5% chance of living and yet by the grace of God I am alive,” says Simmons. “I view life each day as a gift.”
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SYMPTOMS OF SEPSIS
S  Shivering, fever, or very cold
E  Extreme pain or general discomfort ("worst ever")
P  Pale or discolored skin
S  Sleepy, difficult to rouse, confused
I  "I feel like I might die."
S  Short of breath

Watch for a combination of these symptoms.  If you suspect sepsis, see a doctor urgently, Call 911 or go to the hospital and say "I'm concerned about sepsis."   Find a physician here.

​To news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis on the go download the area's free mobile app. ​ Free subscriptions to the monthly issue of Mount Dora Buzz are available here.