With Summer Around the Corner, Water Safety Should Be Top of Mind

The Saratoga Regional YMCA wants to ensure that water safety doesn’t get lost in the Saratoga community’s eagerness to jump into summer. As temperatures rise, kids want to cool off, whether that is in home pools, ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, or oceans. And that means the risk of drowning is as prevalent as ever. For National Water Safety Month this May, the Saratoga Regional YMCA is encouraging parents and caregivers to reinforce the importance of water safety skills with the whole family.

As ‘America’s Swim Instructor,’ the Saratoga Regional YMCA teaches more than 2000 children and 600 adults valuable water safety and swimming skills annually. Now more than ever, it’s important to remind parents and caregivers that water safety needs to be top-of-mind as families start to return to their favorite summertime activities. 

“Swim lessons at the Y have been great for my 6 year old grandson, Louden. He has always loved the water and having special needs, it’s important for him to play and socialize while learning,” said Sharon, Louden’s grandmother. “He has an above ground pool at home so being in an in-ground pool was different, new and exciting for him and he loved his instructor, Tom.”

As part of National Water Safety Month, the Saratoga Regional YMCA is encouraging parents to play an active role in promoting water safety and providing six tips to ensure a safe and enjoyable swimming experience for all.

Make sure children know to always ask permission before going in or near the water. Teaching your children to be water smart is the first step in water safety – be sure they understand the importance of asking permission before going in or near the water.

Never swim alone or without a water watcher. When children are swimming, make sure they are actively supervised at all times. Teach your children that they should only swim in locations where a lifeguard is on duty, or where a responsible adult agrees to watch the children in the water without distractions.

Supervise your children whenever they’re in or near water. Whether it’s bath time or taking a dip in a pool or waterfront, make sure your children are within arm’s reach at all times.

Don’t engage in breath holding activities. Both adults and children should not hold their breath for a prolonged amount of time while swimming, as this can be dangerous.

Wear a life jacket. Inexperienced or non-swimmers should wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket.

Don’t jump in the water to save a friend who is struggling in deep water. If an adult or child finds their friend in deep water unexpectedly, their natural reaction may be to jump in the water to try to save them. Even if they are a great swimmer, a panicked person will overpower them, pulling the rescuer underwater. The Y’s Safety Around Water program teaches the “reach, throw, don’t go” concept of using a long object to reach for them and pull them to safety. By using this technique an adult or child can help their friend without compromising their own safety.

“Every year starting in April and peaking in July, we see an increase in the number of drowning deaths. We are doing our part to help prevent these tragedies by offering inclusive swim lesson so that all children have an opportunity to learn these lifesaving skills,” said Matt Helewski, aquatics director at the Saratoga Regional YMCA. “Last month, for the second year in a row, we partnered with the Franklin Community Center offering 30 children free access to a week-long Safety Around Water program, providing water safety and swim lessons to families that need it the most.”

To learn more about the Y's inclusive swim lessons contact Aquatics Director, Matt Helewski at 518-583-9622. To learn more about the Y’s commitment to teaching lifesaving water skills visit https://www.ymca.org/what-we-do/healthy-living/water-safety

About the Y
Driven by its founding mission, the Y has served as a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening our community for more than 158 years locally and 179 years nationally. The Y empowers everyone, no matter who they are or where they are from, by ensuring access to resources, relationships and opportunities for all to learn, grow and thrive. By bringing together people from different backgrounds, perspectives and generations, the Y’s goal is to improve overall health and well- being, ignite youth empowerment and demonstrate the importance of connections in and across 10,000 communities nationwide. ymca.org