Drowning is a leading cause of death for children.

In the United States:

• More children ages 1–4 die from drowning than any other cause of death.
• For children ages 5–14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle crashes.

While children are at highest risk, anyone can drown.

Every year in the United States there are an estimated:

• 4,000 fatal unintentional drownings—that is an average of 11 drowning deaths per day.
• 8,000 nonfatal drownings—that is an average of 22 nonfatal drownings per day.

Nonfatal drowning can result in long-term health problems and costly hospital stays.

• For every child under age 18 who dies from drowning, another 7 receive emergency department care for nonfatal drowning.
• Nearly 40% of drownings treated in emergency departments require hospitalization or transfer for further care (compared with 10% for all unintentional injuries).
• Drowning injuries can cause brain damage and other serious outcomes, including long-term disability.

Information provided by cdc.gov/

Teaching children how to be safe around water is not a luxury; it is a necessity. The YMCA’s Safety Around Water program can help you make sure they learn essential water safety skills, which can open up a world of possibilities for them to satisfy their curiosity safely.

WHAT IS SAFETY AROUND WATER?

This 8-day course, taught by a certified instructor, teaches children two sets of skills that will reduce the risk of drowning and give them confidence in and around water. A typical session includes:

• Exercises to help children adjust to being in the water
• Instruction in “Jump, Push, Turn, Grab” and “Swim, Float, Swim,” two skill sets children can use if they unexpectedly find themselves in the water  
• An activity that teaches children about specific safety topics such as pool rules and boating safety
• A fun game to encourage comfort and activity around water

Each lesson includes a handout for parents and caregivers with additional water safety tips.

ENROLL IN A YMCA SAFETY AROUND WATER PROGRAM TODAY!
Safety Around Water is free to participants. It is open to anyone in the community who wants their children to learn how to be safe in and around water.