A float is pictured in a pool casting a shadow on the pool floor. 

May has been proclaimed Childhood Drowning Prevention Month in Illinois as water parks and pools begin to ramp up activity before reopening. This month serves as a good time to remind parents of the importance of constantly supervising children when they are in or near water to prevent the tragedy of accidental drowning deaths, the state wrote in a press release.

Last year, 18 Illinois children lost their lives due to accidental drowning, including eight in pools, three in bathtubs, two in lakes, two in ponds and one in a creek, river and hot tub. All eight children who drowned in pools were age 5 and under, the state found. 

Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1 to 4 and the second leading cause of unintentional death among children ages 1 to 14, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Another eight children receive emergency department care for non-fatal drowning for every child who dies. 

"A child can drown in seconds, in silence and in as little as one inch of water," Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc D. Smith said in a statement. "We can prevent the tragedy of childhood drowning by actively watching our children any time they are in or around water and practicing 'reach supervision' so an adult is always just an arm’s reach away from children in water." 

To help protect children and prevent water-related tragedy due to accidental drowning, the state advises parents and guardians to follow these tips: 

Swimming pools and hot tubs

Ponds, fountains and retention ponds

Shepard Price has a Master's degree in Journalism from the University of Texas and lives in St. Louis. They have been in journalism for more than four years.