AUSTIN, Texas — Spending time in the water is a daily habit during Texas summers, but the fun can turn to tragedy in a matter of seconds.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages one to four. Among all ages, drowning is the fifth leading cause of unintentional injury death in the United States, resulting in about 4,000 deaths each year.

Below are some tips to help you and your family stay safe during the summer season:

Plan ahead: Talk about water safety with your family and friends. Summer is also a great time to enroll children in swim lessons.

Keep watch: Designate an adult to watch children in the water and use touch supervision for infants, toddlers or weak swimmers.

Suit up: Non-swimmers or weak swimmers should wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Water wings or arm floaties are not a floatation device and should not be relied upon to keep kids afloat. Everyone should wear a life jacket in open water.

Protect with fencing: Four-sided pool fencing prevents children from accessing the pool without an adult knowing. Make sure gates are closed and latches work properly.