Parents urged to get kids swim lessons to prevent drownings

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Fireworks aren’t the only danger looming on the Fourth of July. It's also one of the deadliest days of the year for drownings.

On average, 10 people in the U.S. drown every single day, and it can happen anywhere; on June 28th, a man drowned at Lake Pueblo State Park. Drowning is also the leading cause of unintentional death in kids one to four years of age.

Officials at SafeSplash Swim School in north Colorado Springs said it's those sobering statistics that motivate them to get more kids water confident.

“Formal swim lessons reduce a child's chance of drowning by 88%," said Amber Fuller, General Manager at SafeSplash Swim School. "Just being aware of their boundaries and their limitations and what water is all about is so important."

Fuller said lifeguards or floaties aren’t enough to keep kids safe in the water.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 400 of the 700 kids who drown each year were just 25 yards away from an adult when it happened.

At SafeSplash, their goal is to train kids to save themselves from drowning.

"If nobody is around to help them, and nobody is coming in the near future, they can only sustain that for so long, so being able to teach them to roll back over to the front, find the wall, and get themselves out can be life-saving," said Fuller.

Classes for kids at SafeSplash start for kids as young as six months old, because it's never too early to be water confident.

“It's really the driving force of our whole team," said Fuller. "We love kids, we love swimming, and being able to instill that respect of the water to people so they can go out and be safe in the water, but still enjoy all of its benefits as well."

SafeSplash Swim School has classes for adults, in addition to babies and kids.

To sign yourself or your child up for swim lessons, contact SafeSplash (719) 900-2550, or visit their website here.