St. Louis, MO 
June 10th and the start of summer seem like ages ago but for the Miller and Hughes families the pain they suffer from the deaths of their children, 19 month old Emeline Miller and 3 year old Levi Hughes is still raw and, as we know from experience, it will take years to subside and their lives are changed forever.
Both families are very careful and very attentive parents. Both children drowned in situations where they were not swimming or at the pool. Morgan Miller was at a neighbor’s house chatting while the children watched TV in an adjacent room. Emeline who had been napping in her mother’s arms joined her siblings and then somehow got out the door and went to the pool. The Hughes family was on a vacation with other families and cleaning up after dinner before going crab fishing. Somehow Levi got out of the door and into the pool. Both happened fast, so fast in the case of the Hughes family, that Nicole hadn’t finished the brownie she was sharing with Levi when she dove into the pool to save him.
Bode and Morgan Miller and Nicole Hughes have appeared on NBC’s “Today” and CBS’s “This Morning” to tell their stories in the hope that other families will be spared what they are going through. Nicole Hughes has also written on the blog “Scary Mommy”. These interviews are hard to watch and the blog is hard to read but they bring home important messages. Drowning happens fast – really fast. The Millers and Hughes are not alone – drowning is the #1 cause of accidental death for children 1-4 years old and #2 for children 5-9. Yes, barriers and fences are important. Yes, supervision is important. Yes, approved flotation devices are important. Yes, CPR is important. But having children know how to roll on their backs and float if they fall in the water is also critically important.
So, as the school year begins, we strongly encourage you to make swim lessons part of your child’s weekly schedule. We understand that there are a lot of great activities for your child, but none will do nearly as much to keep them safe as learning water survival and swimming.
We at British Swim School believe in our approach with its emphasis on teaching water safety and survival, using fun and gentle methods and highly trained instructors. Spring vacation and next summer may seem far away, but starting children now will give your children the time to really learn the critical skills they need to keep them safe.
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, Benton Park, Brentwood, Carondelet, Chesterfield, Clayton, Concord, Crestwood, Creve Coeur, Dardenne Prairie, Eureka, Fenton, Glendale, High Ridge, Kirkwood, Ladue, Lake St. Louis, Manchester, Maplewood, Maryland Heights, New Town, Olivette, Overland, Pacific, Rock Hill, Richmond Heights, Shrewsbury, St. Charles, Orchard Farm, St. Paul, St. Peters, South City, Soulard, South County, Sunset Hills, Tower Grove, Town and Country, Valley Park, Webster Groves, West County, Weldon Springs, and Wildwood. Call 314-312-1878 to enroll or find a class online.
