If not, it is never too late for lessons...
Never to late to save a life!
Recently, I heard some astonishing statistics on the news and I think it is worth sharing. If this information reaches one person to teach a child to swim then I consider it a true blessing and that I’m not writing this blog in vain.
According to the American Red Cross and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:
- Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children younger than 5 and minority children drown in pools at an alarming rate…
- Government data also shows that African-American and Hispanic children between the ages of 5 and 14 are at a high risk of drowning.
- African American children between the ages of 5 and 19 drown in pools at rates five times that of white and Hispanic children that age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data from USA Swimming indicates that 70 percent of African American children and 62 percent of Hispanic children cannot swim, making them more likely to drown.
The American Red Cross offers other steps people can follow to help keep youngsters safe around the water and they include:
- Constantly supervise children when they are near water. Many children who drown in home pools were out of sight for less than five minutes and in the care of one or both parents at the time.
- If you have a pool, secure it with appropriate barriers.
- Never leave a young child unattended near water, and do not trust a child’s life to another child; teach children to always ask permission to go near water.
- Avoid distractions when supervising children around water.
- If a child is missing, check the water first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability.
Similar stories in the news:
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Do you know of other resources to help parents who have difficulty affording swimming lessons? If so, please share!