Joliet instructors: Learning how to swim could save a life

JOLIET – With pool season right around the corner, now might the perfect time for children to take swim lessons.

It could ultimately save a life.

“Taking lessons, wherever you take them, are important. Just for them to be comfortable in the water if they’re ever in a situation, knowing the basic skills can save them,” said Chad Shingler, pool manager at the Joliet Park District’s Splash Station.

Children ages 1 to 4 have the highest drowning rates, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At least seven people – including three children – drowned in pool and boating accidents last summer in Will and Grundy counties. Last June, a 3-year-old boy drowned in a backyard pool in Morris and just weeks later, a 2-year-old girl drowned during a Fourth of July celebration.

Learning the basics can play a big role in saving a child’s life, said Jason Carey, aquatics director at the Galowich YMCA in Joliet.

“Floating on your back is one of the first things you learn as a swimmer. We want children, at the very least, [to] know how to float,” Carey said. “Those are the beginning steps of swimming.”

Getting comfortable
in the water

Classes are offered to children as young as 3 months old at the Greater Joliet Area YMCA’s multiple locations. The Joliet Park District’s two facilities offer classes as early as 6 months old.

But even if a child knows how to swim, parents should always pay constant, close attention, Shingler said.

“You should always be aware of what they’re doing, where they are. Always follow the facility’s rules,” Shingler said. “No roughhousing, no diving in waters less than 9 feet deep, things like that.”

Carey said pool users at the YMCA each wear red, yellow and blue wristbands, depending on skill level. Children attending summer camp programs will participate in a program called “Go Blue.” It’s designed to have children advance to the blue wristbands through mini-swim lessons at the start of each day.

“Safety is our No. 1 concern,” Carey said.

Public safety

To maintain clean facilities and avoid outbreaks of recreational water illnesses, the Will County Health Department inspects nearly 130 facilities regularly throughout the season.

Having the right level of chemicals, along with the proper drainage and working equipment, keep pools safe and clean, Will County Environmental Health Director Elizabeth Bilotta said.

Recreational water illnesses are caused by germs spread by swallowing, breathing in mists, or having contact with contaminated water, according to the CDC.

Most outbreaks linked to recreational swimming are caused by germs including cryptosporidium, giardia, shigella, norovirus and E. coli. The illnesses can have unpleasant side effects, including diarrhea, cramps, nausea and fever.

Parents can help keep pool facilities clean by washing hands, making sure children leave the pool to go to the restroom and wearing the appropriate swim diapers, Bilotta said.

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YMCA
Classes are available starting June 1 for children and adults ages 3 months old and up. The YMCA also offers private lessons and adaptive lessons for people with special needs. Schedules vary. For more information, visit www.jolietymca.org. Classes vary depending on age ranges.

Joliet Park District
Classes are available starting next month for children and adults ages 6 months old and up. The park district's two facilities – The Inwood Athletic Club and the Joliet Splash Station Waterpark – offers classes varying by age range.

MORE TO KNOW
• Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury death among children ages 1 to 4 years.

• Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death among children 5 to 9 years.

• More than 60 percent of fatal drownings of children younger than 4 occur in swimming pools.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention