Most children love the water.

They are drawn to its reflective surface and love to jump in rain puddles to watch the waves. It's pretty and it's fun, but it can also be deadly.Infants and toddlers can drown in as little as 1 inch of water, making even the bathtub a dangerous place.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death in children under the age of 14 (motor vehicle accidents are first).In the United States, an average of 10 people accidentally drown every day. Twenty percent of those deaths involve children. And for every child who dies from an accidental drowning, another five receive emergency treatment for near drownings.The Times News area is blessed with a number of super-size puddles, from community pools to lakes.Community pools include the Howard D. Buehler Memorial Pool in Tamaqua, Lansford Community Pool, Baer Memorial Pool in Lehighton, Northern Lehigh Pool in Slatington and the Palmerton Memorial Pool.Local residents can also visit the Tuscarora and Locust Lake State Parks in Schuylkill County, as well as Beltzville and Mauch Chunk Lakes in Carbon County. With the recent heat and humidity, those pools and lakes have been visited regularly by hundreds of swimmers and nonswimmers alike.All are staffed by certified lifeguards and trained personnel. The pools are all enclosed by fences, making them easier to monitor.Still, despite every precaution, tragedy can be just beyond the next ripple.Lansford accidentWater safety became a water cooler topic and a Facebook sensation after a young boy nearly drowned at the Lansford Pool on June 17. The 8-year-old was playing with several other children when he stopped breathing while underwater.Online statements from several people who were at the pool indicated a lifeguard either froze or wasn't properly trained. That started an onslaught of critical statements, the bulk offered by people who had no direct knowledge of the incident. A public statement from Lansford Mayor James Romankow later that evening was unable to quell the firestorm.After interviewing everyone involved, Lansford Police Sgt. Jack Soberick, a member of the Lansford Parks and Recreation Board, offered the following account concerning the incident."First, I want everyone to know the pool personnel followed the emergency procedures we have in place. Some children were playing a game, a game that 99 percent of the time is harmless, trying to see who could hold their breath the longest. It wasn't immediately clear the young boy was in trouble, but when it was, the lifeguard blew the whistle and jumped in the water, pulling the child out. Sherri Shellhammer, pool manager for the day and a respiratory therapist, began CPR and was joined by a pool patron, a certified nurse's aide."For those who called the lifeguard's actions into question, Soberick had this to say: "The lifeguard followed procedures. As a respiratory therapist, Sherri has the more advanced training and was the right person for the job."He also brought in the concept of perception. "When an emergency happens, time slows for everyone involved. Seconds seem like minutes. Everyone sees, and remembers things, through their own immediate perspective, rather than the larger picture. I was only minutes away, and when I arrived at the pool, Sherri and two lifeguards were already in action. Then, the CNA added her help."Pool manager Mary Ann Krajnak said all of the personnel at the pool, from lifeguards to office staff, are CPR certified."We do have an emergency action plan. The first and most important step is sizing up the situation and then putting that plan into action," she said.Soberick also said, "There is always room for improvement, and we'll be implementing some stricter guidelines and adding training drills in the afternoons, following the adults-only swim."There are some other changes in the works, such as creating a laminated book containing the emergency procedures, which will be posted for the public to see.Rose Mary Cannon, a member of Lansford Borough Council and chairwoman of the borough's Parks and Recreation Committee, was dismayed by the public vilification of pool personnel."All in all, I was pleased with the actions of our employees and saddened to see how distressed they were by the nasty comments. Our pool employees are probably one of, if not the most qualified and certified around. Mary Ann, our pool manager and her husband, Smokey, our pool maintenance manager, are CPR certified. Our refreshment stand manager is a fireman and CPR certified. All our lifeguards have lifesaving, CPR and AED certifications. They are hardworking professionals and dedicated to trying to keep our pool going."Public pools become a type of community during the swim season, thanks to season passes, a place for family and friends to meet and spend time together. Each member of that "community" is an integral part of water safety. From trained lifeguards and pool personnel, to an active emergency plan, to the patrons themselves, everyone has a part to play. Patrons with children need to keep an eye on their charges. Children may be carefree, but they need to be taught to be careful.The bottom line in the Lansford case, says Soberick, "is that everyone did what they were supposed to do. In the end, thanks to the community coming together, a life was saved."Next Saturday: Lifeguards a key to safety