Winter Swim Lessons Save Summer Lives

For YMCA swim instructor Holly Saunders, of Reading, knowing that one of her students saved his own life after a mishap on the ocean was an affirming moment that her work is essential – even life altering. The little boy, age 6, slipped off a dock into the ocean last summer as his family packed away their boat for the season. But, he did not drown. He knew what to do. He swam to the platform, treading water, until he was pulled out of the ocean – all thanks to a year of swimming lessons with Saunders at the Burbank YMCA in Reading.

Although these are the cold, snowy months of winter, now is the time for young children to learn to swim, perfecting their strokes and stamina for several months before they are put to the test in summer.

Drownings continue to be a major concern with one in five people dying each year, ages 14 and under, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Drowning is responsible for more deaths among children, ages 1 to 4, than any other cause except birth defects. And, the number is alarmingly high for African-American children, ages 5 to 19, drowning in swimming pools - more than five times higher than white children. And, the upshot is that it is preventable.

“Learning to swim should be like going to school: mandatory. There is water everywhere,” says Saunders who has taught swimming and water safety to hundreds of adults and children for 19 years in Reading. “From the ocean to streams and pools, there is no avoiding it. The good news is that once you learn the skills, they are something you never
forget.”

The statistics bear out the sense of urgency. According to the CDC, there were an average of 3,536 fatal unintentional
drownings annually in the United States between 2005 and 2014. That breaks down to approximately 10 deaths per day. A national study by the USA Swimming Foundation and the University of Memphis found that 70 percent of African-American children and 60 percent of Hispanic children cannot swim compared to 40 percent of white children. This disparity is greatest among children ages 11-12 years old where African Americans drown in swimming pools at rates
10 times higher, the CDC found.

“Water safety and swimming are crucial life skills all children need for survival. In many underserved communities, staying safe around water means keeping kids away from water,” says James Morton, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Boston. “We want swim lessons to be a rite of passage for all children, and the YMCA is able to provide an accessible community resource to not only give access to these children but to also encourage a lifelong enjoyment of swimming.”

Since 1909, the YMCA has been coined “America’s Swim Instructor,” and is known as an accessible community resource that encourages the teaching of necessary skills to prevent drowning. The YMCA of Greater Boston offers a variety of different swim lessons for all ages, from pre-k to adult learners and strives to give all members of
the community access to the pool through the Annual Fund.

Registration for the YMCA of Great Boston’s spring Learn to Swim Program ends this week. To learn more about
the Y’s Safety Around Water program, and to register please visit www.ymcaboston.org/swimming.