HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death among children aged one to four years old, according to the Children’s Safety Network (CSN).
That troubling statistic led adults to organize the World’s Largest Swim Lesson on Thursday. This is the 14th year that families across six continents will learn about water safety and drowning prevention on the same day.
Goldfish Swim School at Gayton Crossing is joining in on this safety awareness day.
“Teaching your children how to swim is just as important as wearing a helmet when you're riding a bike or wearing your seatbelt in the car,” said Shannon Parvis, general manager at Goldfish.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, formal swim lessons can decrease the risk of drowning by up to 88%.
Parvis and her team start educating children about the importance of water safety as young as four months old.
They learn to float on their back, to swim to the edge of the pool and how to climb out of the pool — among other skills.
“We’re working on the muscle development, muscle memory so that they can safely get out of the pool if they do happen to fall in,” Parvis explained. “If they go a little bit too deep in the pool and it gets over their head, they're able to tread water.”
CSN also reports that three children drown every day in the United States.
Parvis said the lessons work.
“We hear stories about when people come back from vacations that, because of us, their child was able to be safe in the hotel pool or at the beach. So, that's very rewarding,” she noted.
You can reach out to Goldfish Swim School to book a free trial lesson.
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