CHILDREN, WATER SPELL DANGER : PARENTS URGED TO PROVIDE SUPERVISION AT BEACHES, SWIMMING POOLS.

Byline: Terry Kanakri Daily News Staff Writer

With the warm days of summer fast approaching, officials are warning adult beachgoers and swimmers to keep an eye on their children.

Saying it takes only a few seconds of distraction for a child's life to be lost, water safety officials advise following a few simple tips to make the difference between life and death.

``Take nothing for granted,'' said Don Ferre, senior program director at the Simi Valley Family YMCA. ``All you have to do is turn your back for a moment, or go answer the phone, and that's all it takes for kids to get into trouble.''

On Thursday a Simi Valley Valley toddler almost died after he fell into his family's backyard swimming pool when the rear wheel of his tricycle got caught in a drain plug causing him to fall into the water.

Police said Michael Schlagenhauser left the family room of his house where he was playing, and went into the backyard of his residence. Neighbors and his mother rescued the boy, who remains hospitalized.

Water safety officials say accidents can be avoided if parents keep a close eye on youngsters, especially as the summer months approach.

``The kids are out of school and there's a lot more free time,'' said Sgt. Bob Gardner of the Simi Valley Police Department. ``People should always know where their kids are, they really need to pay a little extra attention. It's nothing they shouldn't be doing all the time. But because the kids have a lot more extra freedom when they're not at school, and the weather is nice, parents should be extra aware of their children's safety.''

Ferre of the YMCA offers several suggestions parents should follow when their children are around swimming pools.

``The children need to either be in a supervised pool with a certified lifeguard, or if it's a family pool, the parents shouldn't leave for a moment because it only takes a second,'' he said. ``Even if it's a shallow pool, don't take it for granted that they can't get into trouble.''

Parents also should make sure their children are wearing life jackets, and if not, floatation devices should be used.

But most important, Ferre urged parents to make sure young children do not play around swimming pools.

``No running around the pool, no playing, no bikes,'' he advised.

Carrie Whitman, a lifeguard stationed in Ventura, said parents also should be careful when bringing children to the beach.

Swimming should be done in front of a lifeguard, and parents should not be afraid to ask lifeguards about the different hazards present at a particular beach, she said.

``The thing that is good to know about oceans is they're always changing,'' she said. ``The bottoms are changing, the size of the surf changes, and there are rip currents that can be dangerous. That's probably the No. 1 reason why lifeguards make rescues because of people caught in rip currents.''

Whitman said if caught in a rip current, follow a simple strategy.

``What happens is people don't realize that the rip current stops at some point, and people try to swim back in against that river of water and they end up getting extremely tired,'' Whitman said. ``What they need to do is swim at an angle back into the shore.''

Young children should never be left alone at the water, Whitman said.

``It's really important that small kids have an adult right there with them,'' she said. ``You need to watch them like a hawk. Don't let them out of your sight. And unless they're very good swimmers, they shouldn't go too deep. Make sure they always touch the bottom.''