Lakewood Ranch swim schools encourage water safety at young age

Owner of Swim Gym of Lakewood Ranch, Anita Pope, said drownings happen fast and are not as loud and attention-causing as people might think.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports drowning as one of the leading causes of death in all children, and the No. 1 cause of death for children under 5.

For 21 years, the National Water Safety Coalition has been raising awareness of what it labels a pandemic. Every May 15 is International Water Safety Day.

“Striving to make a planet that’s 70% water, 100% safe” is the coalition’s motto.

But Florida has another issue: swimming pools. The Florida Department of Health reports that home swimming pools are the most likely place children under 5 will drown.

Pope said if your home doesn’t have a pool, it’s likely one of your neighbors’ homes does.

“I remember years ago on Fruitville, somebody’s kid made it into their neighbor’s screen and drowned in the pool — a 5 year old,” she said. “You should lock your screen doors.”

PoolResearch.com estimates there are more than 1.5 million pools in Florida, the highest number in any state.

While pool alarm sales are on the rise, the National Institute of Health states that alarms should only be supplemental to pool barriers, such as fencing and locks on doors and windows.

Pope said she sees people bypassing baby fencing for alarms. But for protection, children should be prevented from entering the pool versus the parent hearing when the child has already fallen in the water.

When her own children were able to open the sliding doors leading out to the pool, Pope had locks installed on the doors that were high enough that the children couldn’t reach them even if they climbed onto a chair.

Ultimately, swim lessons and supervision are the best methods to prevent drowning.

Courtesy image

Swim Gym and Goldfish Swim School offer swim lessons for babies and children in Lakewood Ranch. 

Swim Gym teaches students from 6 months old to 6 years old. Goldfish teaches students from 4 months old to 12 years old and also offers a free water safety presentation to daycares and schools at no cost. 

“I recommend starting at a young age to get acclimated to a water environment,” Goldfish Sales and Service Manager Marcia McCaughan said. “Babies can start to learn how to close off their noses when they get dipped (in water).” 

Once acclimated, students learn to float, balance and build up the strength to pull themselves out of the pool without stairs or assistance. The school employs toys to strengthen safety skills because play helps children retain information. 

Swim Gym teaches students to become “aquatic problem solvers” by running them through a series of simulated scenarios. One example is falling in a pool fully clothed. 

“They get that sensory experience that just because I’m weighted down or have shoes on or a diaper — a diaper can hold a couple pounds of water — you can still get yourself up,” Pope said. 

The simulations develop muscle memory for recall in case of a real emergency. 

"I think the biggest thing is that everybody thinks that it won't happen to them," Pope said. "A lot of people hear it and think what were the parents doing, where was the mom? But (drowning) happens so fast and it's not a loud process. We kind of all need to change to the thinking that this could happen to me."

Visit SwimGymLWR.com or GoldfishSwimSchool.com/lakewood-ranch for more information.