HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — May is National Water Safety Month, and at ABC Action News, we're looking into ways to keep your children safe this summer.
According to the CDC, drowning is the number one cause of death for children in Florida.
There is a lot to keep in mind when it comes to water safety. We spoke to a local swim instructor who says the best thing to do is sign your kids up for swim lessons.
“Especially for Floridians, it's vital to get swim lessons as early as possible. We lead the country in drownings,” Albert Bedeneaugh-Cortez with Watermelon Swim said.
We spoke to a local mom at swim lessons who signed her son up for swim school when he was just two years old.
“We have so many bodies of water around us in Florida, knowing that also I can prevent drowning. Aside from being a mother, I'm an emergency room doctor so I see the other end of what can occur and I definitely did not want that to happen to my son,” Freeman said.
She said she feels more confident when her family is around water.
“I still, of course, watch him always, but just knowing he has the lessons, he’s learning to grab the wall; he’s learning to float,” Freeman said.
Floating and how to grab the wall are some of the first things they teach kids during swim lessons.
Bedeneaugh-Cortez said one of the most important things they teach kids is how to flip on their backs and float. He said that can be a matter of life or death in a dire situation.
As for parents, he said prevention is key. If you have a pool, he said to put barriers around it. That can be things like locking the doors that lead to the pool or covering the pool.
You could even put bells on the doors that lead to the pool to alert parents or babysitters when the pool door opens.
Bedeneaugh-Cortez also suggests parents stay up to date on CPR certifications and keep floaties or life jackets near the pool.
One of his most important tips is for parents to keep an eye on children the entire time they swim.
“One of the biggest misconceptions people have is that drowning is some loud splashy event that is gonna alert everyone, but it is actually quick and quiet and something that occurs in front of people, loved ones, lifeguards. So visual supervision is vital,” Bedeneaugh-Cortez said.
Aside from supervision, he said the best thing parents can do to prevent drownings is to sign kids up for swim lessons at a young age.
Swim lessons can be expensive and now doable for many families. ABC Action News looked into affordable options for families.
The YMCAis offering free water safety and swim lessons from May 8 - 12. Click here for swim scholarships available to children who qualify in the Tampa Bay area.
Swim lessonsare $24 dollars for eight lessons at Tampa Parks and Recreation pools. Swim with Rays provides free lessons for children who qualify. You can register at any Tampa Parks and Recreation Pool.
Watermelon Swim offers free water safety presentations for schools and groups in the area.
