St. Louis, MO
Did you know that more than half the population of our country is unable to swim or perform basic swim safety skills?
A survey, conducted for the Red Cross, found that while 80 percent of Americans said they could swim, only 56 percent of the 80% who thought they could swim, were able to perform all five of the basic skills that could be life saving. The five basic skills that constitute “water competency” include being able to step or jump into water over one’s head and return to the surface, float or tread water for one minute, turn around in a circle and find an exit, swim 25 yards to the exit and exit from the water and, exit from pools without using the ladder.
Overall, the Red Cross survey found that more than half of all Americans either can’t swim or don’t have all of the basic swimming skills.
Only 40% of parents of children ages 4-17 reported that their child could perform all five basic swimming skills; 60% of parents of children 4 -17 can’t say that their children have water competency. (The survey did not ask about children younger than 4 in which age range the numbers are much worse.) Yet more than nine in 10 (92 percent) said that their child was likely to participate in water activities during the summer.
The Red Cross survey found that nearly half of Americans (46 percent) reported that they had had an experience in the water where they were afraid they might drown. In addition, one in five (19 percent) said they knew of someone who had drowned, and 20 percent more knew someone who had nearly drowned.
Every day, an average of 10 people die in the U.S. from unintentional drowning according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children 1 to 4, the second-leading cause for children aged 5 to 9, and sixth for people of all ages. In addition, for every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.
At British Swim School, we teach all the skills for water competency. And we start with even the youngest children, teaching them to jump into the water, come to the surface and roll over to float as well as tread water and make a safe exit. As the children progress, they learn basic strokes and then how to swim 25 yards in each of the strokes before they proceed to the next level. And all of this is done with highly trained instructors in a warm and nurturing environment.
British Swim School St. Louis offers premium water survival and swimming lessons for infants, toddlers, children and adults, starting at just 3 months old. We proudly serve the St. Louis communities of Afton, Ballwin, Brentwood, Chesterfield, Clayton, Concord, Crestwood, Creve Coeur, Dardenne Prairie, Eureka, Fenton, High Ridge, Howell Island, Kirkwood, Ladue, Lake St. Louis, Manchester, Maplewood, Maryland Heights, New Town, Olivette, Overland, Richmond Heights, St. Charles, Orchard Farm, St. Paul, St. Peters, Sunset Hills, Town and Country, Valley Park, Webster Groves, Weldon Springs, and Wildwood. Call 314-312-1878 to enroll or find a class online.
