HOW CAN A PLANE CRASH SURVIVOR CHEAT DEATH?

Imagine, Michael Trapp losing the engine power in his plane, survives the crash in the middle of Lake Huron – when what! Mr. Trapp survived hours in the water because he knew how to float on his back, paddle and treat water.

As the owner/instructor of a swimming company, swim swim swim I SAY, I ALWAYS explain that survival skills, such as floating on your back and treading water can save your life. Here is an example that no one can discount. So I ask all parents and swimmers to pay very close attention to what you/your child are learning when taking swimming lessons.

I will tell you from my experience, most adults and child don’t like at first the feeling of water in their ears when floating on their back. I talk to all my clients as we do a back float and explain, “You will get used to it and the way it feels. It will become like nothing.” I also get asked, “How can I get the water out?” Believe it or not, tilting your head to one side, lightly pulling on your ear and hopping up and down on one leg will do it. So you look silly for a moment but you will feel the water run right out. For more tips, please look at my blog on SWIMMER’S EAR found at, http://www.swimswimswimisay.com/ (bottom of the home page).

I prefer to teach treading water as my students begin to learn the freestyle stroke right after the back float. Treading water, at first, can be difficult; when you get the hang of it, you can make it a game for everyone. Seeing who can treat water the longest. If there are too many of your friends still hanging in, go for hands up in the air. That makes it very interesting.

For what happened to Mr. Trapp, both back floating and treading water saved his life besides his will to live. I ask all of you to please learn these survival skills Mr. Trapp did because we would not be writing a story such as this but a story on how he didn’t survive this accident. I want to wish Mr. Trapp a speeding recover. Also, thank him for his survival. You may say," that is strange."  Mr. Trapp has no idea what an impact he has make on the lives of so many people. He will help many learn how to swim and learn the survival skills that saved his life. Mr. Trapp, you have just help decrease the second leading cause of accidental death among children and the number of minorities that LOSE THEIR LIVES TO DROWNING EVERY SINGLE DAY! I thank you.

“your life in the water matters”

Agnes Davis

President/CEO

Adavis@swimswimswimisay.com

http://www.swimswimswimisay.com/

DROWNING: IT HAS ALREADY STARTED AND JUNE ISN’T OVER

Since the weather got warmer, the drowning of children has been in the news every week. The ages have varied but the outcome is still the same. Understand in no way am I making light of this serious situations but it frustrates me. Why? Drowning is a preventable death. Yes, preventable with swimming lessons and certain precautions. Most towns offer free swimming lessons all year around. If not, organizations like the Make a Splash Foundation have local providers that offer low cost swimming lessons /scholarships to students to take lessons (swim swim swim I SAY is a local provider).

A child/toddler on Saturday got away from its parents and drowned in a neighbor’s pool in New Jersey. Unfortunately, I can’t imagine what these parents are going through; my heart goes out to them. I truly hope they don’t blame themselves; this was an accident. We all know child move quick and get away from us in a blink of an eye.

Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental deaths of children. 40% of the drownings occur when children were supervised, 39 % happened with no supervision of an adult and 18% were blamed on a lapse of supervision. During the summer, three-quarter of the death take place in a child’s own back yard.

Please remember if you own a pool, have a pool close by or will be near a pool to take certain precautions.

·         A backyard pool should have at least a fence 4 foot high surrounding the pool with a self latching gate

·         Parents/caregivers need to watch children in, near or around water at all times- not socialize, read, sleep or drink.

·         Adults should know how to swim themselves and know CPR

·         Remove all ladders when a pool is not in use and store them away

·         Purchase a wrist alarm system for small children (alarms if the wrist gets wet) and have child wear them if they are around a pool or you have a pool in your back yard even if you are not using the pool that day. What is $200 when a child’s life can be saved

I ask anyone reading this to pass it on to anyone who has small children. Please help any parent not have to go through a tragic accident that can be prevented.

Be safe and see you in the water!

http://www.swimswimswimisay.com/

Drowning and Wrist Pool Alarms

With the recent drowning of a 3 year old boy on Long Island, where I grew up, only makes every parent, child sitter or grandparent more aware of the dangers that are around us in the safety of our home environment. First my sympathy goes out to this family and all the families who have lost someone to drowning. A swimming pool is a great compliment to any home or community to be used by friends and family but unfortunately, a real danger surrounds this great body of water that all of us know on a hot summer day is the best way to cool off. To often we hear there was a gate around a pool but the child still got in. Children are quick and smarter than we think. In the blink of an eye, they are by your side and gone the next second.

As a swimming instructor for tots, children and adults, I believe in addition to all the safety equipment/safety tips for back yard pools, there is one additional item missing for the added safety of a small child- WRIST POOL ALARMS. I will be honest, have I ever used one-No- but think about it; it makes sense. The other alarms on the market are devices that detect a break in the water surface but birds and the wind can trigger it. This device is a wrist band that comfortably locks around your child’s wrist. A loud alarm sounds when your child’s wrist band is immersed in water.

For @ $157-$250, how can any responsible parent or pool owner that has small children around ignore this simple yet life saving device. Let’s be honest with each other, ALL of us have spent more on something that didn’t even last. A life is worth so much more than this small investment in the safety of a small person. Do your research and find a system that works for you, your family and guest. Green Turtle/Turtle Pool Alarm is one devise I am aware that offers the safety features needed.

Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death among children so why wouldn’t anyone invest not to have to deal with a tragedy that is no one’s fault!

In closing, I say to all who have had a tragedy of drowning shatter their life, it was not your fault. Guilt and blaming will not change the action but speaking out about water safety, life jackets and swimming instructions will help another family avoid the sadness your family has been dealing with.  If out of this tragedy you can save one life than the death of your loved one will not be in vain.

http://www.swimswimswimisay.com/