With rising temperatures, more children from Houston and North Texas are spending time at pools, beaches, and lakes, increasing the importance of water safety education. In response, the YMCA of Greater Houston is offering free water safety classes focused on drowning prevention. "Unfortunately, drowning is the second leading cause of death for youth under the age of 14. And so we’re passionate to make sure that that doesn’t happen in our communities," Lindsay Lewis, the senior vice president of programs, evaluation and membership at the YMCA of Greater Houston, told CW39.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged 1 to 4 and the second leading cause for those aged 5 to 14. To address this, the YMCA’s Safety Around Water program aims to assist over 400 children in the Houston area. The program provides swimming lessons and basic survival skills, including floating and CPR, to help children stay safe in and around water. The initiative received a $30,000 donation from energy company Reliant to support its efforts.
Meanwhile, across North Texas, a similar narrative unfolds, as the YMCA offers free swim lessons to over 8,000 children via the Safety Around Water Program. This widespread educational campaign encompasses more than 100 locations, making swim lessons accessible and eliminating financial barriers for families. "The data says that formal swimming lessons reduce a child's risk of drowning by 88%, and that's not if the kid becomes a proficient swimmer," Jen Pewitt, the Vice President of Aquatics with YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas, said in an interview with CBS News Texas.
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services reports 22 drownings so far this year, highlighting the importance of efforts by organizations like the YMCA. These programs focus not only on teaching children to swim but also on promoting safe behaviors around water. For added safety, the use of life jackets is strongly recommended for non-swimmers, and local stations offer life jackets available for loan. "We suggest a Coast Guard-approved lifejacket for your child if they can't swim, and beyond that, anyone that is swimming in brown water, regardless of your ability," Pewitt advised during the same interview with CBS News Texas.
