In the spirit of National Water Safety Month, NBC’s TODAY was joined by Olympic Gold Medalist Rowdy Gaines and Olympic swimmer Ryan Murphy to educate audiences about the importance of water safety paired with their “Five Golden Rules” as the busy swim season approaches.
As the PHTA Vice President of Partnerships & Development, Gaines explained the crucial role that Step Into Swim plays in the industry and the importance of observing National Water Safety Month to ensure a safe and happy summer season for all.
The “Five Golden Rules” of water safety included:
- Learn CPR: Immediate CPR can save a child’s life, and administering CPR until professional help arrives can significantly reduce further risk.
- Wearing Coast Guard-Approved Life Jackets: Wearing life jackets dramatically reduces drowning risk and can provide critical support even for experienced swimmers.
- Barriers: Self-closing gates & latches, pool alarms, and removing kiddie pools and toys after use are perfect ways to increase safety.
- Swim Lessons: Starting swim lessons near age one — “You can start as early as four months old,” Murphy shared — can be crucial. Formal swimming lessons reduce the risk of drowning by 88%, according to the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
- Constant Supervision: Most child drownings happen during non-swim times. It can be quick and silent with no splashing, which is all the more reason for undistracted supervision to ensure a safe environment for enjoying the pool.
Thanks to Gaines’ and Murphy’s enthusiasm for water safety, the well-known and beloved mission of Step Into Swim can be shared across the country to increase safety around the pool this summer season.
