SWIM LESSONS ‘CRITICAL’ FOLLOWING 47 DROWNINGS
Y, Boys & Girls Club and Big Blue Swim School ready to teach you how
Massachusetts swimming advocates and youth organization leaders are stressing the “critical” need for swim lessons in the wake of a tragic series of drownings across the Bay State.
The number of kids who received swim lessons in the last year was down because of the pandemic. Now, especially following dozens of recent drownings in the state, local water safety champions are “doubling down” on the importance of swim lessons.
“We have an incredible responsibility to make sure every child in the commonwealth can swim,” said YMCA of Greater Boston CEO James Morton. “We’re all doubling down on our commitment to make sure that everyone, no matter their age, can swim.”
A Worcester Police officer recently drowned as he tried to save a drowning teenager. Those two deaths were among the at least 47 drownings in Massachusetts so far this year — 18 of which happened just last month. The 47 deaths are up significantly from years prior, prompting public officials to increase lifeguard pay and urge residents to exercise caution.
“It becomes our responsibility to make sure swim lessons are accessible and affordable across every community,” Morton said. “We are trying to do our part to provide as many lessons as we can to prevent some of the tragedies we’re seeing across the commonwealth.”
The daughter of Cohasset’s Gary Cohen nearly drowned about a decade ago when she was 3 years old. His daughter was playing on the side of a town pool when she fell into the water.
“All it takes is literally 2 seconds for someone watching a child to be distracted by another child,” Cohen said. “Fortunately a person across the pool saw it all
unfold, started screaming, and she was pulled out. She then coughed up water, and was OK.
“The whole situation sticks with you forever,” he added.
That terrifying incident has inspired Cohen to bring Big Blue Swim School, a children’s swim school franchise, to the Boston community.
“We’ve obviously been absolutely devastated with all of these recent (drowning) headlines as well,” said Cohen, a Big Blue Swim School franchisee. “I can’t even imagine what all of these families are going through right now.
“Opening these swim schools was in the works before this, and this only drives our passion to get these pools out as fast as we can to prevent these tragedies in the future,” he added. “These are critical life skills.”
Most aquatic facilities were closed throughout last summer because of the pandemic, bringing swim lessons to a halt. Now that restrictions have been eased, many facilities are up and running this year.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston has been able to offer some swimming programs. “It’s certainly an important life skill that everyone should learn,” said Pete Nash, associate VP of operations at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.
Kids taking swim lessons can cut the likelihood of a childhood drowning death by 88%, Cohen cited from a medical study.
Morton of the YMCA added, “The earlier you can get your kid a swim lesson, the better.”