By Greg Glassner
CP Senior Correspondent
There have been drowning deaths in Caroline or surrounding counties in each of the past five years.
Nationwide there were 4,000 deaths or brain injuries from drowning in 2012. Many victims were children or teens. Drowning is the second leading cause of death for children.
Caroline County is rife with opportunities for tragedy with three lake communities, rivers, streams and numerous farm ponds. Despite this, many youngsters grow up without basic water survival skills.
A pilot program this spring at the Caroline Family Y in Ladysmith is providing about 60 Bowling Green Elementary School second graders with these necessary skills.
“This is one of the programs that the Y USA is pushing nationwide,” explained Paul Gehring, Executive Director of the Caroline Y. “It is part of our strategic plan and we are happy to do it.”
Because of a number of regulations that make this sort of specialized education difficult to fit into the school year, the program relies on the full cooperation of school officials as well as parental permission.
“We conducted a very detailed parent survey in the fall. This started with a letter to parents alerting them to the dangers of drowning and seeking their approval,” said Heather Hale, the Y’s Aquatics Director and the mother of two school-age children.
“We received almost overwhelming approval,” Hale said. “Our longterm goal is to push for 100 percent response.”
In the pilot program, two busloads of second graders came to the Y on four friday afternoons for one-hour sessions in the pool, accompanied by teachers and a few parent volunteers for support.
Because of the survey, Hale knew the Y instructors would be dealing with a variety of water skills, ranging from some youngsters who were initially afraid of even getting into a swimming pool to those who had received swim lessons from parents, the Y or another source.
Based on this information, the students were divided into four approximate skill groups receiving instruction based on their needs and abilities.
Four one-hour sessions is unlikely to produce any Olympic caliber swimmers, but useful skills can be learned.
Children in the Y’s shallow therapy pool were taught water discovery and acclimation, Hale said. “They learned to stand up in water and blow bubbles.”
More advanced groups learned how to tread water, float on their backs, jump into the water, and swim 25 yards with or without assistance.
Even more advanced students learned how to wear and properly fit life jackets, get in and out of boats and give assistance to someone who cannot swim.
Each session began with a stern lecture on safety around pools and other bodies of water. No running on the pool deck was one that needed constant reinforcement because of the age and excitement level of the participants.
These sessions were free of charge and those who did not arrive with towels or swimwear were provided it. “Today four of them were wearing my daughter’s old bathing suits,” Hale said.
Although the pilot program was a change of pace for them, the classroom teachers involved were positive.
“They are getting a lot out of it,” said Cristi Thomas. “A lot of them didn’t have this experience before. A lot didn’t know how to swim and some have not even been in a pool.”
Hillary Baldwin said the students “are tired but they’re excited” once they return to the school. “It features into their life skills,” she added.
Gehring said he hopes the program can be expanded to cover all of the county’s second graders next year.
With the pilot program the Caroline Schools provided the transportation, the teachers and the scheduling and the Y staff and volunteers provided the rest.
“We are hoping we can get a local business to champion this program,” Gehring added.
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