There is a worrisome trend
developing in Maine right now as
we kiss our sweaters and jackets
goodbye and find our swimsuits.
May is water Safety Month and the
state's largest provider of swimming
lessons for kids is firing up a
flare to get everyone's attention.
About a very real problem,
one that new center mains Chris
Costa has been looking into Chris
well, Pat, the YMCA alliance of
Northern New England provides
swim lessons for thousands of kids
in each of Maine 16 counties.
Now, a spokesperson says in 2020,
when the pandemic started,
the number of kids participating in swim
lessons dropped by nearly 50%. Why?
Because pools were closed at first and
then COVID safety guidelines required
smaller groups for those lessons.
Now that spokesperson says all
that led to a backlog.
Kids and families that need swim lessons,
including some kids who already
knew some swimming basics and
now are starting from scratch.
Some kids love playing in the water,
others like 3 1/2 year old Elise Caldwell.
She's afraid of the water and on
our own we had not been able to
get her to get past her thighs.
That's why her mom Amy signed her
up for swim lessons after trying to
teach her how to swim on her own.
Elise is just like a lot of kids
in Maine who live near water.
Whether it's a lake, river,
ocean or swimming pool,
it made us nervous that she
was afraid of the water.
And then if if she needed to.
Needed to know how to swim.
She couldn't.
We didn't have that help.
She's not the only one YMCA
staff say during the pandemic.
Fewer kids took swim lessons,
either due to closed pools or smaller
class sizes for COVID safety.
Lauren Dwyer is the Aquatics
director at the Waterville location.
He says this phenomenon led to kids
regressing in their swimming abilities
for some kids as basic as
getting them back in the water,
doing one or two lessons where
they realize they remember.
Like wow, I can do this,
or muscle memory is there.
But then for some of the
kiddos that were really young,
they don't remember it at all.
So it's like they're
starting completely over.
I mean, if anybody knows
why this is so important,
it's you that the topic that we're out.
It's been my whole life, yeah.
Ken Walsh is the CEO of the Alfond
Youth and Community Center.
It's both a YMCA and a boys and Girls Club,
located in Waterville.
He grew up lifeguarding and
competing in triathlons,
where swimming well is a must.
He says the wise summer camps
picked up on the red flag
of kids who had regressed.
Just the thought that my kids
are going to be out, you know,
on the lake or ocean not having
that skill set is scary.
It is every parent's
fear with kids and water.
In the last five years,
11 kids under the age of 18 have
accidentally drowned according to
Maine's office of the Chief Medical Exam.
5 drowned in rivers.
4 drowned in ponds.
2 drowned in swimming pools,
more than half of those kids were underage.
6 nationwide staff from the YMCA
show drowning is the leading cause of
unintentional death among kids ages,
one to four and the second
leading cause of injury related
death for kids ages 5 to 14.
Right around 5:15
I've had to rescue hundreds of kids.
Oceans, pools, lakes. I'm always
looking for things before they happen.
It's it's too much space right now
to Maine State lifeguard coordinator
Sean Vaincu says parents need to
pay even more attention to their
kids at a beach, lake or river.
There's no question about it.
Open water is is more dangerous
to swim in than a pool,
but they they both have their risk.
Pool can be deceptively dangerous because
people get comfortable and confident.
Those dynamics like waves and currents,
plus the colder temperatures and
unknowns on the bottom make it even more
important for kids to be strong swimmers.
It is important that kids learn how to
swim as best as they can to be confident.
Swimmers in the ocean, because if you're
not a confident swimmer in the pool,
you're most certainly not going to
be a confident swimmer in the ocean.
The women's doctors say starting as
early as age 3 is crucial for kids
learning water safety is age 3 1/2.
Four years old is when they have
that natural kind of they're starting
to develop their independence.
Like in all aspects of life.
So to gain that independence in the water,
where if they fall in they know what to do.
It's definitely harder the
older they get to kind
of erase that fear of the water. A
fear Elise's mom says her
daughter is starting to overcome.
It makes me well,
one smile and excited for her.
Because when she comes out of class,
she can't wait to tell me that
she put her mouth in the water,
her nose in the water and that
she was able to follow all
of Miss Lori's instructions.
Yeah, good job.
It's it's definitely reassuring knowing
that she's not afraid of the water,
but also knows her limitations and
knows how to get out of the water.
So I'm not sure if you saw
it in some of the video.
Those kids right before they jump in,
they count 123. It's not just for fun,
it's actually a technique
from the instructors.
It's a queue for parents,
so as soon as they start hearing
their kids count to three,
or maybe ready set go,
those parents know their child's
about to jump in the water so it's a
mental reminder for parents to turn
and watch to make sure their kid
comes back up to the surface safely.
Pat,
great idea. Chris Costa. Thank you.