YMCA to offer free swim lessons as summer approaches

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - With summer approaching, the YMCA of Greater Richmond is reminding parents about water safety and offering free swim lessons during National Water Safety Month.

Chrissy Fandel, executive director of preventing drowning at the YMCA of Greater Richmond, said parents need to think about water safety even when they don’t intend to be near water.

“On those visits to the park and your walking around the neighborhood, the creek, the lake, the river, whatever it might be, you need to always be thinking of water safety, even when you may not intend to be by the water,” Fandel said.

For most children, months have passed since they last swam. Fandel said a child’s swimming proficiency can regress during that time.

A study the YMCA participated in found that 75% of parents overestimated their child’s ability to swim.

“Your child needs to be able to jump in the pool, come up, be able to tread water for 30 seconds. They need to be able to swim the entire length, 25 yards or 25 meters, to be what we class as water proficient here at the YMCA,” Fandel said.

Three young children drowned in the area in just one week last summer.

Fandel said parents should have U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets on hand and keep their eyes on the water when a child is in or around water.

“We encourage all parents to make sure that whenever you’re by the water there’s an active supervision happening, and a water watcher is designated so that those children in the water are watched and safe. And that’s someone in addition to the lifeguard. You can’t depend solely on the lifeguard to be that person, it’s a whole community to provide water safety,” Fandel said.

About 80% of accidental drownings happen when the person falls into the water by accident, Fandel said.

The YMCA and other area organizations provide free swim lessons to second graders as part of their Learn to Swim program.

During National Water Safety Month, the YMCA is hosting a week of swim lessons where 1,700 people will learn how to swim free of charge.

“We really want to encourage everyone to get themselves, their child, their entire family that lifesaving skill of learning how to swim,” Fandel said.

The YMCA is offering free swim lessons for Water Safety Week from May 9 to May 15.

Click here if you’re interested.