Sink or Swim

An ad by Watch Around Water

Defying Death: Preventable Drownings
By: Alexandra Newton

Preventable water related accidents and deaths creep in to our communities right under our noses all the time. It is amazing how many children ages 0-4 die because they are unsupervised and/or uneducated.

Jane E. Brody wrote an article called "Swimming and the Fear Factor." This article highlights reasons why children never get educated and the number one reason is the parents. Some parents who don't know how to swim just brush it off as just another hobby. I consider swimming a vital life skill. These parents are obviously heinously naive to believe that their child can live a safe life not knowing how to swim.

As an American Red Cross water safety instructor, I am appalled by the statistics I came across while researching. "Drowning is preventable, yet in most countries drowning ranks among the top three causes of injury death." If that does not make you sick, then this will..."The estimated drowning global mortality rate translates to approximately 400,000 deaths annually." This needs to change.

Annika Larsen, age 5

Nathan Klein wrote an article entitled "Time to waterproof our kids with compulsory swimming lessons" where he examines a proposal made by Royal Life Saving Australia chief executive officer Rob Bradley to implement mandatory swimming classes in to Australian schools curriculum. Bradley said that these lessons can halve the potential drowning deaths. I agree and say that swimming should be incorporated into our schools curriculum as well. It would be much better than our normal p.e. classes and it is very good exercise. Children would be supervised and properly educated by someone like myself.

My job is my duty.

I have saved children from drowning before, and get no thanks from parents. Almost 100% of the time, the parents are NOT even looking. When an instructor or lifeguard is present, it seems like parents forget they have kids. HOPEFULLY these dumb parents realize that I am teaching their child a life long skill. Tonight at work (May 7, 2015) one of my students who I passed on to the next level told me "Thank you Ms. Ali for teaching me when I didn't know how." His mom thought he was just rambling to me but I'm glad I really heard his message. He is only 6 years old!

It is never too late to begin swimming lessons, I teach all ages. My current adult class thanks me every night we are together saying "Thank you for helping overcome my fear", "Thank you for always encouraging me." My adult students give me hope that more will come and end their fears. 

Proper swimming education and supervision is necessary for living life. That is the only way I can put it. Water is all around us, Earth's surface is roughly 71% water covered. Parents not only need to get their children properly educated, but need to watch their kids. Both of these issues go hand in hand. If a child doesn't know how to swim and is not being watched, a magic trick is going to happen where your child disappears underwater and then floats back up. Yes, that was harsh but DROWNINGS ARE PREVENTABLE.

DON'T be the parent that acts like putting your child in swimming lessons or leaving them uneducated is like choosing between Scylla and Charybdis. You know which is the right choice, so just choose it.