Leadership Vestavia Hills launches swim safety project

Drowning is responsible for more deaths among children ages 1 to 4 than any other cause except birth defects, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

One local group is working to address this issue in Vestavia Hills. 

This month, Leadership Vestavia Hills (LVH) is launching a special project, Swim Safety in the Hills. The project’s mission is to reduce drowning accidents among local children through parental education and swim safety instruction.

Drowning risk factors include lack of swimming ability, inadequate barriers, lack of close supervision and failure to wear life jackets, according to the American Red Cross. Many children who drown in home pools were out of sight for less than five minutes and in the care of one or both parents at the time of drowning. Children under 1 year most often drown in bathtubs, buckets or toilets. Children ages 1 to 4 years most often drown in home pools.

LVH member and parent Brooks Harris said he was surprised to learn the facts. 

“There are some shocking statistics out there related to drowning deaths that we believe many adults are not aware of,” Harris said. “We wanted to be able to provide citizens of Vestavia Hills with an avenue to learn more about what to do in a drowning emergency and what the statistics were about drowning deaths.”

Swim Safety in the Hills will offer a free parental swim safety education class for parents on April 9 at the Vestavia Hills YMCA. The class will provide child drowning facts and prevention tips. 

“While they’re at the class they’ll have the opportunity to register their children for a follow-up pool safety class,” Harris said. 

Registration will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Children will be able to choose from one of four 30-minute in-the-pool classes to be taken over a five-day period with qualified YMCA swim instructors who will teach basic swimming and escape techniques. 

Leadership Vestavia Hills plans to continue to develop the program and consider additional swim classes in the future. For more about the classes, contact the Vestavia Hills YMCA at 823-0144.

Free parental swim safety education class 

April 9, 5:45- 7 p.m.

Vestavia Hills YMCA, 

Qualified swim safety instructors will teach parents about swim safety. Child care will be provided. At the end of this classroom instruction, a signup sheet will be available for parents to register their children for the in-the-pool instruction class.

Free in-pool swim safety course

April 13-17

Vestavia Hills YMCA

Registrants, on a first-come first-serve basis, will be able to choose from one of four 30 minute in-the-pool classes with qualified YMCA swim instructors who will teach children basic swimming and escape techniques.