SAN DIEGO – Drowning is a preventable tragedy.
With the number of swimmers maxing out in summer, it’s important to review what steps can be taken to avoid drowning, which claims an estimated 236,000 lives globally every year.
The Peninsula Beacon held a Q&A with Tanner Maginnis, Southern California regional manager for Big Blue Swim School, which has a franchise at 3645 Midway Drive, to discuss water safety and drowning prevention.
The regional swim school empowers kids ages 3 months to 12 years, giving them the skills they need to feel confident in the water. The school also emphasizes teamwork with its professional, adult instructors, who are specially trained to get into the water with young swimmers to provide them with individualized, level-appropriate, engaging swim lessons.
Beacon: Tell us how your swim lessons teach drowning prevention.
Maginnis: We don’t teach you how not to drown. We teach our students how to build their confidence and their stamina in the water. Those are big anxiety factors. We teach children to get in the water, without support, and that builds their confidence. That is step one.
Beacon: Tell us about Big Blue and its approach to swim instruction.
Maginnis: Big Blue was started in Chicago by people who were Olympic swimmers. The brand has been community-driven from its very early days.
Beacon: Tell us something about Big Blue’s water-safety instruction?
Maginnis: One of the first things we tell people is the need to swim with a buddy. We tell kids’ parents and their friends that they also need to designate someone as a water watcher. Having another set of eyes watching over your kids is good. Some of the other things that go along with that are making sure children have the swim skills they need and the knowledge of first aid and CPR, to be able to respond in an emergency.
Beacon: Is drowning prevention a big part of your curriculum?
Maginnis: We tell people that drowning prevention is a lifetime concern, and that they need to get proper swim lessons for their children. The earlier a child starts to learn how to swim, the earlier they can start building their confidence in the water. Staying consistent with swim lessons helps them do this.
Beacon: Can you give us some water-safety tips for drowning prevention?
Maginnis: We talk about swimming with a buddy and teach kids about first aid. Water safety also comes down to finding and reducing water hazards. Make sure you have fencing with locks around pools, and that you have life jackets available. Don’t leave toys near the water. We teach people that it’s easy to have fun, but that it’s not always easy to stay safe. Lastly, we tell people that their kids need to know how to call 911.
Beacon: What incentives does Big Blue offer to get families to enroll their kids in swim lessons?
Maginnis: We offer every family a free trial swim lesson, so they get to know about the brand and how it operates. Nine times out of ten, after going through our free swim lesson, they stay with us.
Lifesaving and drowning prevention tips
- Swim with a buddy and designate a water watcher: Identify an adult in your group who keeps a close eye on swimmers and rotate that person every 30 minutes to avoid supervision fatigue.
- Acquire CPR and first aid training: Parents and caregivers are encouraged to take CPR and first aid training with a reputable group such as the American Red Cross, enabling them to respond quickly and confidently in case of injury.
- Find and reduce water hazards: Install fencing, locks and alarms around water if you have a pool at home, don’t leave toys or items of interest near the water and ensure proper fitting life jackets are available for any water activities.
- Enroll in swim lessons to improve your skills: Formal swim lessons can reduce drowning by 88%, making year-round formal swim lessons the best way to help a child be ready around the water.
- Respond fast and call 911 for emergencies: A drowning incident isn’t always obvious, making closer supervision essential for any water activity. Ensure the water watcher can respond quickly and dial 911 in case of emergency.
