Photo Credit: Bradie Allen
Just a couple of years ago, while working outside the aquatic industry, I received a phone call about a new volunteer coalition: The NCH Safe & Healthy Children’s Coalition of Collier County. “Something I should most assuredly participate in, with my background,” the caller urged. “A drowning-prevention coalition had been established, and great things were in the works!” Sure enough, at the meeting in October 2011, I joined a group of individuals hailing from area aquatic facilities and a number of emergency first-responder organizations. At that time, I learned the number-one cause of death for children under the age of 5 was drowning. It was shocking, and motivating, and I knew I was in exactly the right place at the right time to make a difference.
Since then, one of the coalition’s most successful ventures was joining forces with SWIM Central. SWIM Central transports children, largely from disadvantaged daycares, to certified aquatic facilities throughout the county, where each child receives 10 30-minute water-safety lessons over a 2-week period. We were encouraged to “borrow” the program, modify it, and adapt it from neighboring Broward County to meet the needs of our highest-risk population. SWIM Central is an integral component of the coalition’s ongoing effort to decrease the number of drowning incidents in the county.
Since SWIM Central began in March 2012, more than 1,111 children have participated, and 9, 869 water-safety lessons have been offered. Despite these valiant efforts, drowning remains the leading cause of death for children 1 to 4 years of age in the county. Since water-safety lessons have proven to decrease the risk of a child falling victim to a non-fatal injury or fatal drowning, these efforts have been justified, particularly in Southwest Florida.