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CDC, YMCA share water safety tips for the summer

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services said 17 children have drowned in Texas so far this year.

SAN ANGELO, Texas — Now that school's out for the summer, children and adults are looking to take a dip in the pool. But things could get serious if they don't know how to swim.

To help non-swimmers, the YMCA of San Angelo and Abilene offer swimming lessons for people of all ages.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported during 2018-2019, the highest percentage of unintentional drowning deaths occurred in swimming pools for ages 1-4 and 5-13 and in natural bodies of water for ages 14-17. 

At the YMCA, repetition is what they believe will help non-swimmers get into the swing of learning to swim on their own.

“Practice, practice, practice, and we practice that. So we essentially want for children, for example, we want to make sure they understand what we're saying. We understand that they understand the rules of being at a pool or being in any body of water. Safety is one of the top priorities at the YMCA,” San Angelo YMCA Aquatics Director Austin Rosales said. 

Swim lessons are said to have helped save millions of lives. All it takes is a quick sign-up, taking a few classes and a dip in the pool could become a lot less dangerous.

"Come on down. We'll help everybody out. It doesn't matter what age you are. We'll give lessons and we'll try to do our best to accommodate you,” Rosales said.

Here are the CDC's top 10 tips regarding water safety:

  • DO learn to swim

  • DO take a friend along

  • DO know your limits 

  • DO swim in supervised (watched) areas only, and follow all signs and warnings

  • DO wear a life jacket when boating , jet skiing, water skiing, rafting, or fishing

  • DO stay alert to currents 

  • DO keep an eye on the weather

  • DON’T mess around in the water

  • DON’T dive into shallow water

  • DON’T float where you can’t swim.

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