TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Area families got important lessons in water safety on Saturday.
Being in Florida, water is a way of life and stretches every corner of the state, so it was extra important for Bridget Narvaez to bring her three-year-old godson to an event focused on safety in the water.
“He does not know how to swim, so this was the perfect opportunity to be able to expose him to the water," said Narvaez. "Playing in water is different than actually knowing how to swim.”
WATCH: Tampa Bay Area families learn lessons in water safety at Swim 1922 event
On Saturday, the Beta Kappa Sigma Tampa Alumnae Chapter of the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. hosted their annual Swim 1922 program at the New Tampa YMCA to teach and promote water safety and help prevent drowning.
“A lot of our underprivileged areas and black communities, a lot of kids don’t have the time or don’t have the limited abilities to get swim lessons, and so it’s important for us today to promote that and to help support those children,” said Cathy Fort, the chapter president.
People of all ages participated, in and out of the pool.
“Families are going to be learning CPR. They’re going to be learning how to scan the water to make sure that no one’s in there, especially for the families that have backyard pools,” said lifeguard instructor and water safety instructor Kymbriell Finch. “We’re going to be making sure that they’re confident in their swim skills.”
The CDC says every year in the US, there are over 4,000 unintentional drowning deaths, pointing out more children between ages 1 and four die from drowning than any other cause of death.
“The drowning statistics in Florida are alarming, and if we don’t do something about it, we’ll continue to lose innocent people who don’t have that education, and it’s very preventable,” said Finch. “We’re making sure we do our part to get everyone educated, knowledgeable, and confident in their water safety and drowning prevention skills.”
