Gilbert, AZ
August 7, 2019, started out as a normal day for six-year-old Rex of Queen Creek, Arizona. As on most weekdays, he got up and went to school. That day, he was invited to a friend’s house after school for an afternoon of fun in the pool. But by the end of the day, Rex would be lauded as a hero.
Rex learned how to swim and be safe in the water as a toddler. He loved the water and spent as much time as possible in the pool, keeping cool in the Arizona heat. Rex was playing in the water with his friend that day when a two-year-old fell into the water without his water wings on. Although there were three adults in the water at the time, Rex was the only one who saw the baby fall. He quickly got the child’s head above water and swam back to the edge of the pool to safety. His quick thinking and reasoning saved his life.
Rex’s knowledge of water safety was so ingrained, that when he went home that night he didn’t even mention to his family what had happened. His parents only found out when his friend’s mother called later in tears to tell them what Rex had done. His father, Craig, joked that when Rex’s mom, Bethany got the call, they thought maybe he had done something mischievous. Little did they know that he had saved a life that day. Rex is humble when asked about his heroism: “I just grabbed him, got his head out of the water and walked him to the edge,” he says matter-of-factly.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ten people die in the US every day from unintentional drowning. Of these, two are children aged 14 or younger. Drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional injury death in the United States. About one in five people who die from drowning are children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.
“Another misconception about drowning is that it’s loud and active,” said William D. Ramos, a member of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council in an article for the Washington Post this summer. In reality, it’s quick and quiet. “About 30 to 60 seconds is about all it takes,” Ramos said. “The body goes into shock and all actions are made to attempt to keep the head above water. We do not see a lot of waving and calling for help”.
“That’s exactly why it’s important to teach water safety first and swimming second,” explained Dejan Simurdic of the British Swim School – East Valley, “If you learn the basic skills to save your life in the water first, your chances of drowning decrease dramatically. At our school, we teach babies as young as three months old and all the way up to adults. We give our students a fighting chance to save their own lives should they fall into the water or even just get tired in the water while swimming”.
“Arizona has one of the highest drowning rates in the US for both children and adults, states Vicki King, BSS Aquatics Director, “Our children in Arizona drown at nearly double the national average!”
The staff at the British Swim School – East Valley was so impressed when they heard about Rex’s quick thinking and courage, that they invited him to the pool to present him with a “Superhero of the Pool” certificate. He was given a hero’s welcome that included hand-shaking, high-fives, and thank you’s from all of his fans at the pool. He also received a goodie bag from the BSS team that included swimming lessons – because even superheroes strive to be better!
From left: Dejan Simurdic, British Swim School – East Valley Franchise Owner, Eden Shaver, Rex Shaver, Craig Shaver, Vicki King, BSS Aquatics Director, Rose Parker, BSS Deck Ambassador celebrating Rex’s life-saving skills
