When is it OK to let kids swim unsupervised? The answer might surprise you

With temperatures heating up and swimming season on the horizon, parents have justifiable cause for concern. May is National Water Safety Month, and it's a great time to think about summer swimming rules ... for kids of all ages.

"I get a Google alert every time a child drowns. I get five or six a day. It breaks my heart," says Rowdy Gaines, three-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming. He stopped by Studio 1A to share information about swim safety on May 9.

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 1 and 4, and according to new data from the CDC, the amount of children who drowned rose 28% from 2019 to 2022.

The CDC notes that formal swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning, which is one of the reasons Gaines is working with Step Into Swim to help fund swim lessons for children.

But the danger doesn't end once kids are older, or even after they learn to swim.

Older children “are still susceptible to danger. There’s no question about it,” Gaines says.

Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children 5 to 14 years old, and 40% of those deaths occur in "natural water," like lakes, ponds or oceans.

Parents of children who have learned how to swim may feel more confident stepping away and leaving them momentarily unsupervised, but Gaines tells TODAY.com that any child under 18 should be supervised, whether it's a lifeguard or a parent.

He points out some dangers for older kids: running/slipping on the pool deck, dunking their friends, jumping head first or getting caught in a riptide.

Sure, kids in the 5 to 14 range may have swim technique down, but "they don't have the knowledge of protecting themselves. They think they’re invincible,” Gaines laughs. "Remember when you were 8?"

Gaines reminds parents that every child, and every situation, is unique. The rules you put in place for swimming may be specific to your family, or even different based on the child. They can also change over the course of a few months if kids strengthen their swimming skills.

And one more critical tip for parents, especially parents at a party or group swim occasion: always assign at least one adult to be the designated "water watcher" who keeps an eye on all the kids as a lifeguard would, Gaines says.

"Drowning is silent," he cautions. "It's not like the movies where they yell and scream. The water envelops their lungs and they can't say anything." A child who is drowning might be "bobbing up and down, just like any of the other kids are and it looks like they're swimming."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com