Swimming

[ericadawn16]

There is a very important skill for everyone to learn:

SWIMMING

Did you know that the two groups at highest risk of drowning are those under five and those aged 15-25?

Those 15-25 have the second highest chance of drowning. 8,000 people die every year from drowning but you don't have to be one of them.

Learn to swim! This is so important but there are adults who don't know how to swim. It's estimated that almost 70% of Black children and 40% of whites have inadequate swimming skills. You might think you don't need to know how because you don't have kids or live near water, but you really never know: flash floods can and DO happen!

It's not expensive. You can contact your local YMCA, community center or pool and most will offer classes for a nominal fee that could even be reduced or free depending on your income.

I don't want this to ever happen to anyone else.
Six teens drown while their family watched helpless because no one could swim to save them

Comments

[pktaxwench.livejournal.com]

I have no clue how people can NOT know how to swim. Isn't it natural? Instinctive?

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, it's not especially in a stressful situation. My brother got a pool this summer and at first, the younger two weren't very good at swimming at all. In fact, the middle one couldn't even float.

[madkatstar-pir8.livejournal.com]

Oh my God, that's horrible! I am so sorry for these kids and their families. :(

It amazes me that someone could never have swimming lessons at some point in their childhood. Maybe they should make that a class at the elementary grade level so tragedies like this don't happen. I know there are YMCA's, but I guess some families don't have the time, or the lessons that are available are too expensive.

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

Yes, my mom saved up so I could take them, but I do agree with you, it should be a mandatory class in school. They have classes about driving, drugs...we even had Bike riding two years in a row, but never this and it would make so much sense.

[madkatstar-pir8.livejournal.com]

Really, if high schools can have swimming pools and swim classes, why can't they put a small pool in elementary schools? Even though it would cost taxpayer money, I think it's something people would like to have their money spent on. It would be much more useful than renovated sports stadiums.

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

Actually, a lot of the schools in my county don't have their own pools or classes. My former high school uses a nearby community pool for their swim team, but surely, most schools aren't that far from community pools?

[that-was-cheesy.livejournal.com]

Mmm, I've been living in the water basically every summer since I was 9, so I think I'm set. It was only from the diving board to the side of the pool though, so I can't really do distance or anything... plus I probably would be drowned while trying to save someone since I'm so small. xD

[arathesane.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's truly horrible, it's so heartbreaking when things like this happen.

Thank you for posting this. Not being able to swim, is one of those things that hard for me to conceptualize, sometimes, It's from going the water at such a young age. I swam before I learned to read.

The idea downthread of there being mandatory swimming classes in school is an interesting one. Unfortunately, many schools lack the funds or resources for such classes, especially in today's economic climate. But such classes would be that be well worth the expense.

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think anything that saves lives should be viewed as worth the expense...but I agree that many see schools and education as a way to save their community/state/national budget. They don't seem to realize that they are not only shortchanging their future but the next generation.

[frakkin-addict.livejournal.com]

My Dad insisted we know how to do two things really well: skate and swim. Skate because, well, we're Canadian, and swim for exactly the reasons you mentioned above.

When I was 16 I saved a friend who was drowning in a lake with no lifeguard. He was older and much bigger than I was, but I knew exactly what to do because of the lessons I'd taken.

My 7 seven year old is a great swimmer and my 4 year old is coming along really well.

Thanks for posting this. What a horrifying thing to happen and my heart goes out to those families.