I receive a Google Alert every time a child drowns in the U.S. On any given day, I get three or four notifications. It is heartbreaking each time because while drowning is a leading cause of unintentional death in children ages 1 to 4, there is a cure for these preventable tragedies: formal swimming lessons. Learning to swim from a qualified instructor reduces the risk of drowning by 88 percent for those ages 1 to 4 — the same age group that bears the most harm from drowning incidents. Yet, according to the CDC, the drowning rate is rising, killing nearly 4,000 people each year. In fact, Florida is listed as one of the top five states with the highest drowning rate.
– Original Credit: Courtesy photo
Unfortunately, drowning strikes minority communities even harder. Black children ages 5 to 19 drown in swimming pools at a rate more than five times that of white children. And the same CDC report showed that the drowning rates for Black children were significantly higher than those for white and Hispanic children at every age from 5 to 18 years. Since these findings were shared, there has been an improvement in overall swimming abilities among America’s youth, including minority populations, so we are making strides, but there is still more work to be done.
I’ve learned that most parents do not know the facts about drowning. They are surprised to know that nearly 90 percent of drownings happen in front of an adult or that a child can drown in as little as 30 seconds. In an age where many of us are easily distracted, the social media scroll, text message, or bathroom break that “can’t wait” could have unintentional and irreparable consequences.
Each conversation I’ve had with a parent results in one more family knowing the importance of water safety and increases awareness of initiatives like Step Into Swim, Every Child A Swimmer and others that believe in creating more swimmers, advocating for safety education, and working to provide access to swimming lessons. We all need to be committed to educating families on the benefit of learning to swim and giving children the opportunity to build confidence in the water.
Learning to swim is empowering, life-saving and life-changing.
I learned how to swim before I even knew how to walk. My parents knew the importance of keeping me safe around the water. Through learning to swim, competing professionally, representing the U.S. in multiple Olympic games, teaching my own children and grandchildren how to swim, and regularly enjoying time in the water with my loved ones, the world of swimming has brought me the greatest joy imaginable. I believe it really does bring families and communities together. Once learned, basic swim skills stay with people for the rest of their lives.
I am begging parents to please enroll their children in formal swimming lessons. Always remember that you are the person in charge of keeping your children safe around water. While it is a basic parental responsibility to keep them safe and teach them how to swim, it is also a privilege to watch them grow up in the water and see them thrive.
I ask all of us to come together to preserve and protect the next generation of swimmers. One day, we’ll live in a world where I stop receiving those Google Alerts. Let’s strive to create that reality now, one swimming lesson at a time.
Rowdy Gaines, who lives in Lake Mary, is a three-time Olympic gold-medal swimmer and vice president of partnerships and development at the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance, where he leads the Step Into Swim initiative.
