Already this year, nine children in Texas have died by drowning. While a pool is the most common place for kids to drown, most who drown before age 1 do so in a bathtub, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two babies in Texas have died in a bathtub this year, including one in Williamson County. One baby has drowned in a bucket. 

Last year, 76 Texas children drowned, including four in a bathtub. Pools, hot tubs, ponds, creeks, lakes, rivers and water parks all can present a risk of drowning.

Aside from congenital birth defects, drowning is the No.1 cause of death in children ages 1-4. For ages 1-14, it's the second-leading cause of accidental death.

In Austin last year, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services responded to 63 drowning or near-drowning incidents. Austin Public Health and EMS found that children 1 to 4 years old were involved in 69% of those incidents.

While 70% of their drowning incidents happened in summer and 80% happened in pools, that leaves another 30% that happen at other times of the year and 20% that happen in something other than a pool. 

These statistics aren't ones that anyone wants to think about, but experts say there are simple prevention strategies to keep kids safe around water.

Most drownings are silent and happen within one or two minutes. 

"This isn't a fear thing, but it's really a good reminder to be vigilant and protective," said Brian Borchardt, the owner of British Swim School Austin. 

Infants can drown in as little as 2 inches of water, said Dr. Lisa Gaw, a pediatrician with Texas Children’s Urgent Care. "They have no head control," she said.

Your children's risk factors depend on their motor skills. Can they sit up and stay sitting up? "What can they do if they tilt over and are face down? Can they get back up?" Gaw asked.

Here are some specific safety steps you can take:

Summer safety:How do kids typically break their bones in summer? Depends on their age

If you are traveling or have a backyard pool, make sure there are barriers to prevent children from getting into the water.

Some steps you can take include:

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When at a pool or other swimming area, be clear at all times about which adult is watching the kids while they are in the water

Drowning prevention:Protect your family from drowning

More safety tips:Grab your sunscreen and your eagle eyes around the pool

Teens also have a high risk factor for drowning, just behind kid ages 1 to 4. Teens sometimes take chances that a person with a fully formed frontal lobe wouldn't take.

Last year, Lake Travis had a record number of suspected drownings with 10 people missing while swimming.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends kids as young as 1 year old take swimming lessons, especially lessons that focus on survival skills such as how to float on your back and how to get out of a pool.

Babies and parents can take swim water classes before that to get babies comfortable in water and teach parents how to handle babies in water.

The YMCA of Austin and private pools and swim companies have lessons available for registering now. The city of Austin's aquatics program opened its summer swim lesson registration Monday. 

In the drowning or near-drowning cases to which Austin-Travis County EMS responded, only 28% received CPR from a bystander before EMS arrived. 

For adults, take a CPR class so you know how to try to resuscitate someone from a near-drowning, choking or heart event. Make sure that CPR class includes infant, child and adult techniques. The local Red Cross chapter offers classes as do Austin-Travis County EMS and CPR Resources, which are taught by local firefighters.

Since 2000, the Statesman has provided more than $500,000 in swim lessons for kids in Central Texas through partners such as the YMCA of Austin and the city of Austin. A $35 donation gives one child swim lessons. 

To make a donation, go to community.statesman.com/programs/swim-safe.