Reinforcing the Importance of Safety Rules in Swimming
As summer temperatures rise, people everywhere dive into lakes, pools and oceans to have fun and cool off. Here in Minnesota, we have 11,842 lakes to choose from. While swimming can be a fun activity at any time of year, it can also be fatal. No matter where you jump in a lake, remember the importance of safety rules in swimming.
Drowning Statistics
In the U.S., hospital emergency departments treated approximately 6,500 nonfatal drowning injuries each year from 2021 through 2023. In addition to these injuries, there were 358 fatal drownings from 2019 to 2021 among children younger than 15.
Drownings are more common among younger children. 77% of emergency department-treated and 75% of fatal injuries involve children younger than five years old (Yang, 2024).
While these tragedies can happen to anyone, they are more prevalent among minorities. According to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, drowning rates for American Indian or Alaska Native and Black people are more than one and a half times higher than rates among White people (Tessa Clemes, Briana Moreland, & Robin Lee, 2021).
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning, but over half of U.S. adults have never taken a swimming lesson (Summer Swim Safety, 2024).
Working with BIPOC Youth to Build Swim Skills
YWCA Minneapolis works with youth to help reduce the risk of drowning, especially for BIPOC children. Many of our programs include regular time learning the importance of safety rules in swimming.
During the summer, we work with Girls Inc. Eureka! participants, Strong, Fast, Fit youth, Summer Camp participants, and three-to-five-year-old kids in our early childhood education programs.
For youth not currently enrolled in programs, the organization also offers swim lessons for all abilities. Toddler classes start at six months and help kids explore the water with a parent, learn about water safety and state the importance of supervision.
Offerings for older kids include three levels of preschool lessons, six levels for school-aged kids and private swim skill boost classes to help youth master swimming skills.
The Importance of Safety Rules in Swimming for Adults
Adults have a dual role in water safety. In addition to their critical role in supervising youth in and around the water, adults must also manage their own safety. Water can be incredibly intimidating for adults who have never learned to swim.
Just ask Mae Brooks, who overcame a lifelong fear of water by beginning swim lessons as an adult.
“Learning to swim as an adult isn’t for the faint of heart,” Brooks said. “Learning to swim was one of the scariest and most rewarding experiences of my life. It has prompted me to try new things in my personal and professional life, to lean into discomfort and push my boundaries.”
At YWCA Minneapolis, we offer adult swim lessons for those with no experience. In the first level, you learn to be safe in and around the water. You become more comfortable by submerging and blowing bubbles and learning to float on your front and back.
Once you’ve mastered the basics, there are two additional levels to introduce swimming on your front or back and to refine your stroke technique. Throughout the lessons, you’ll learn and practice safety rules for swimming while building your skills.
Helpful Resources
Many organizations help reinforce the importance of safety rules in swimming. Here are some of our favorite resources:
Sources
Summer Swim Safety. (2024, May 9). Retrieved from CDC Drowning Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/drowning/prevention/summer-swim-safety.html
Tessa Clemes, P., Briana Moreland, M., & Robin Lee, P. (2021). Persistent Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Fatal Unintentional Drowning Rates Among Persons Aged ≤29 Years — United States, 1999–2019. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Yang, T. (2024). Pool or Spa Submersion: Estimated Nonfatal Drowning Injuries and Reported Drownings, 2024 Report. United States Consumer Product Safety Commission.