Friday Guest Post: Heather Zajicek

Summer Water Safety

Heather Zajicek
Assistant Director for Aquatics

I am in charge of all the aquatics at The W.  It’s getting to the time of year when families are making plans to fill up their summers!  Swimming is the most popular summer activity and the he best thing you can do to help your family stay safe is to enroll in age-appropriate swim lessons. 

You’re in luck as The W offers several private and public swim lesson options throughout the entire year!  Check them out in our community recreation brochure.

Make Water Safety Your Priority

• Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards.
• Always swim with a buddy; do not allow anyone to swim alone.  Even at a public pool or a lifeguard beach, use the buddy system!
• Ensure that everyone in the family learns to swim well.  Enroll in age-appropriate Red Cross water orientation and Learn-to-Swim courses offered at The W.
• Never leave young children unattended near water and do not trust a child’s life to another child; teach children to always ask permission to go near water.
• Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone.
• Establish rules for your family and enforce them without fail.
• Even if you do not plan on swimming, be cautious around natural bodies of water including ocean shoreline, rivers and lakes.  Cold temperatures, currents and underwater hazards can make a fall into these bodies of water dangerous.
• If you go boating, wear a life jacket! Most boating fatalities occur from drowning.

Maintain Constant Supervision

• Actively supervise children whenever around the water-even if lifeguards are present.  Do not just drop your kids off at the public pool or leave them at the beach—designate a responsible adult to supervise.
• Always stay within arm’s reach of young children and avoid distractions when supervising children around water.

Have a safe summer!