“Drowning is quick and silent. A child can drown in less than one minute in as little as 1 inch of water. There is usually no warning, such as screams or splashing,” according to Drowning Prevention Foundation’s website, drowningpreventionfoundation.com.
The BSAC Learn to Swim Program is the most comprehensive swim lesson program in the area. It offers a progressive group lesson program as well as private lessons for both children and adults, parent/tot classes and adaptive swim lessons.
Hillsborough County is ranked as one of the highest in the state for drownings of children 3 to 5 years old, and these numbers are sure to rise with families self-isolating and more children staying at home during the day.
Parents working from home can easily become distracted and forget to lock a door leading outside, and children are restless and love to explore. This combination can lead to a higher risk factor for children who don’t know how to swim, as bodies of water and pools are everywhere in Florida.
Phase one of businesses reopening made it possible for facilities like BSAC to reopen and offer swim lessons to the public. Concerned parents have responded favorably to BSAC’s swimming program, which resumed on May 11 and began enrolling their children 3 years old and up.
“One of the things I like about our program is we are not just educating the children, but we are educating the parents on how to keep their children safe, not just in the water but out of the water and around the water,” said Aquatic Director Theresa Hickie.
For more information on swim lessons at BSAC, visit www.mybsac.org.
BSAC also provides information on the measures it is taking to address the COVID-19 situation while children are in its care. Here’s a link to a video of what to expect: https://youtu.be/a-drlk-fNeI.
