Old Bridge YMCA offers Safety Around Water Week

Drowning poses a threat to the health and well-being of people nationwide, particularly among children and minority populations. Two children die every day because of drowning, it’s the leading cause of death for children 1 to 4 years old, and is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death for children from 5 to 19 years old.

To help combat these alarming statistics, the Old Bridge Y offers the Safety Around Water Week program to the community annually. The program teaches non-swimming children of all ages and from all backgrounds that water should be fun, not feared, if you know how to stay safe in and around water. Teaching children how to swim and be safe around water is one of the most important life skills parents can help their children learn. Safety Around Water Week is a good first step to get children familiar and armed with the necessary skills to be safe in and around the water.

In Safety Around Water, kids learn what to do if they find themselves in the water unexpectedly.

· Children learn fundamental water safety skills that include the concepts of reach, throw, don’t go; CPR and what to look for in a safe place to swim.

· Jump/Push/Turn/Grab teaches a child to push off the bottom of the pool as they are submerging to get back up to the surface while turning to grab the side of the pool.

· Swim/Float/Swim teaches children to swim a short distance on their front, roll over onto their back to rest, and then roll on their front to continue swimming to safety.

Safety Around Water Week will be held June 24-27. The classes will run from 4-7pm each day, and children will receive one forty-minute lesson from Monday through Thursday. Registration is first-come, first-served, and is required in person at the Old Bridge Y, 1 Mannino Park Drive. For additional information and questions, please contact Bridgid Rothenberg at 732.727.0704 ext. 315.