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

[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.