Swimming Lessons Save Children’s Lives

By Yehudit Garmaise

Two brothers, ages 16 and 19, tragically drowned last night in the Lincoln Community School pool in Bayonne, NJ, which is usually open at night for community use.

While authorities are investigating what happened in the pool, parents everywhere should be reminded that children, teens, and even adults can drown in very relatively small amounts of water, such as in bathtubs, blow-up pools, and even mikvahs.

Parents, of course, should never, ever leave children alone to play or bathe in water by themselves: not even for “one minute,” when tragedy, chas v’shalom, could strike.

In fact, the Number One cause of accidental death for children 1 to 4 years of age is drowning, R”L, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

In addition, economist Steve D. Levitt, pointed out in his book Freakonomics, that homes with pools are 100 times more likely to result in accidental deaths than homes in which guns are kept.

While fences, locks, and automated alarms are crucial safety precautions around pools, nothing replaces constant adult supervision over children who play in pools and lakes.

In addition, teaching children to swim is a mitzvah in the Torah.

Babies as young as six months old can be introduced to the water and be taught to swim, so they know what to do, if chas v’shalom, they ever fall into water accidentally.

“Formal swim lessons will teach your children the necessary survival skills they need to stay safe around the water,” says a YMCA website. “Learning to swim at a young age is beneficial for your children's mental and physical development, helps to keep them safe, and builds lifelong safety skills.”