The Gateway Family YMCA Reminds Community Water Safety Should be Top of Mind

 The Gateway Family YMCA wants to ensure that water safety doesn’t get lost in our communities ongoing eagerness to return to a “normal” summer. As temperatures rise, kids want to cool off, whether that’s in home pools, ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, or oceans. And that means the risk of drowning is present. With May being National Water Safety Month, The Gateway Family YMCA is encouraging parents and caregivers to reinforce the importance of water safety and equip their kids with the essential skills to keep them safe in and around water.

“As ‘America’s Swim Instructor,’ The Gateway Family YMCA annually teaches more than 1,000 children valuable water safety and swimming skills,” said Krystal R. Canady, CEO, The Gateway Family YMCA. “Now more than ever, it’s important to remind parents and caregivers that water safety needs to be top-of-mind as families start to return to their favorite summertime activities.”

As part of National Water Safety Month, The Gateway Family YMCA is encouraging parents to play an active role in promoting water safety and providing five tips to ensure a safe and enjoyable swimming experience for all.

1. Never swim alone or without a water watcher. When children are swimming, make sure they are actively supervised at all times. Teach your children that they should only swim in locations where a lifeguard is on duty, or where a responsible adult agrees to watch the children in the water without distractions.

2. Supervise your children whenever they’re in or near water. Whether it’s bath time or taking a dip in a pool or lake, make sure your children are within an arm’s reach at all times.

3. Don’t engage in breath holding activities. Children should not hold their breath for a prolonged amount of time while swimming, as this can cause drowning and has several other severe physical side-effects.

4. Wear a life jacket: Inexperienced or non-swimmers should wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket.

5. Don’t jump in the water to save a friend who is struggling in deep water. If a child finds their friend in deep water unexpectedly, their natural instinct may be to jump in the water to try to save them. Even if a child is a great swimmer, a panicked person will overpower them, pulling the rescuer underwater. The Y’s Safety Around Water program teaches the “reach, throw, don’t go” concept of using a long object to reach for them and pull them to safety. By using this technique, children can help their friend without compromising their own safety.

“Water Safety isn’t just a summer program, it’s a life-long skill taught year round here at the Y,” stated Melynda A. Mileski, EVP/COO, The Gateway Family YMCA. “Children learn essential water safety skills, as well as confidence and endurance in Y swimming lessons.”

Throughout Water Safety Month, The Gateway Family YMCA will be sharing information on their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/GatewayFamilyY for the community, highlighting tips and information on water safety.

The Gateway Family YMCA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, health and community service organization of caring staff and volunteers dedicated to strengthening community through Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility. The Gateway Family YMCA impacts the community by providing quality services for all. The Y doesn’t just strengthen bodies, it strengthens people, families and communities.

For more information about The Gateway Family YMCA, visit www.tgfymca.org or contact the Elizabeth Branch 908-355-9622, Five Points Branch 908-688-9622, Rahway Branch 732-388-0057 or the Wellness Center and WISE Center Branch at 908-349-9622.