YMCA of Coastal Georgia offers open-water safety classes to reduce drowning in children

More children ages 1 to 4 die from drowning than any other cause of death, and in children ages 5 to 14, drowning is the second leading cause of death behind motor vehicle accidents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

During the summer months, especially in waterfront communities like Chatham County, popular activities like swimming, boating and fishing, mean an increased focus on water safety. The YMCA of Coastal Georgia, along with its traditional pool swimming lessons, has introduced a 'safety around water' program to increase awareness about open water safety.

The program is completely free and consists of eight classes that range in curriculum. Within that curriculum are skills such as swim-float-swim, which is a tactic that shows someone who falls into the water how to roll onto their back, remain floating and get into a position where they can exit or receive help.

“The reason that we teach this is to give our swimmers and caregivers a sense of confidence,” said Camille Stone, YMCA of Coastal Georgia’s membership, fitness and aquatics director.

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“Most people do lose their lives to drowning, for example in riptide, due to panic. So, because the waters are really bad right now, another thing that we want to integrate into our 'safety around water' is helping to raise awareness about rip tides that will occur in open water and what they are, how they happen and then how to remain calm if you do find yourself in a riptide.”

Coastal Georgia is dotted with beaches and plenty of open water. From family gatherings to field trips, water surrounds the community. The focus of the program is to teach kids how to save themselves, but also equip family members and caregivers with the necessary information and skills on how to help others in danger, especially at-risk, inner-city communities who may not have access to swim lessons.

“We have so much water around us, rivers in backyards. We have creeks, we have the ocean. We just have so much water surrounding us. I know that our community can get very used to it, almost unaware of how dangerous the water can be. And how it will not discriminate.”

The program is currently available to all YMCA summer camp children — which Stone said teaches 18,000 children — but the goal is to keep the program going beyond summertime. Stone said they’re planning to open two evening classes that will be geared toward the public. One group will be for infants and caregivers and the other will be for a school-age group.

“This is something that we really prioritize. Drowning is one of the easiest ways that our family can be completely ripped apart, and it's so preventable.

“This is something that we think is so important, but one of the things that we're so proud of is that this program is something that's completely from the heart. It's something that we are completely doing to serve the community.”

Laura Nwogu is the quality of life reporter for Savannah Morning News. Contact her at LNwogu@gannett.com. Twitter: @lauranwogu_

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: YMCA of Coastal Georgia offers open-water safety classes