Kids as young as 6 months up to 15 years old learn how to swim in a free class sponsored by the Prevent Drowning Foundation of San Diego and the City of San Diego Retired Employees Association.
Lifesaving swim classes conclude for 96 kids at the Kearny Mesa Pool. Kids range in age from 6 months to 15 years. Tots 6 months to 3 years will swim with their parents assisting them. Parents and children will be available; to video swim lessons, talk to, and interview. San Diego’s Michael Andrew just won gold at the Tokyo Olympics and these young swimmers could be the next Olympians.
The Prevent Drowning Foundation of San Diego has partnered with the City of San Diego Retired Employees Association this summer in the effort to teach every child in San Diego how to swim. Since 2009, their purpose has been simple; they do everything they can to prevent drowning and save lives of children by targeting under-served communities that need swim lessons and ocean safety education. With local schools, community, and aquatic partners, they have impacted tens of thousands of young people in San Diego County and made their lives safer and more enjoyable.
Children’s accessibility to water in San Diego County is high, with 70 miles of coastline, 20 freshwater lakes, 7,466 public permitted bodies of water such as apartment complex swimming pools and many backyard pools. In 2018, there were 47 drowning deaths, 55 hospitalizations for non-fatal drownings, and 87 emergency department discharges for non-fatal drownings in San Diego County. Additionally, in 2019, 100 fatal and non-fatal drownings were reported by Rady Children’s Hospital alone.
Swimming is a life skill that is not easily accessible to all residents in our communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 79% of children in households with incomes less than $50,000 have little-to-no swimming ability; this includes 64% of African American, 45% of Hispanic/Latino, and 40% of Caucasian children.
Video Link: 96 kids conclude free swimming classes at the Kearny Mesa pool via KUSI NEWS
