Summertime is in full swing and that means more families headed to pools and beaches. But with more aquatic activities come more risk for young children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those between the ages 0-4 are especially at risk.
“The leading cause of unintentional death [in] children ages 0-4 is drowning,” said Matthew Barnes, program director of ZAC Camp, a program that teaches children ages 5-9 critical tools to ensure safe swimming. “We travel around the country putting on camps in communities where the risk is particularly high,” said Barnes. “It’s a four-day camp and the children are introduced to water safety principles through time in the water, time in the classroom with a special curriculum we’ve developed as well as interaction with first responders, reinforcing these messages of safety, broader than just drowning.”
“Sixty-four percent of Black children do not know how to swim,” said Barnes. He and the leadership team of the Boys and Girls Club of Paterson assembled over 100 kids to participate in ZAC Camp.
“I’m thankful that they offer this,” Ashley Wilson, a parent, said. “As a parent, I want my kids to learn how to swim.”
In addition to teaching the basics of swimming, ZAC Camp and the Boys and Girls Club also teach the young participants critical survival skills in case they or someone they know is faced with an emergency in the water.
The ZAC Camp staff says the best way to prevent drowning is to learn basic swimming skills, wear a life jacket if needed and never swim alone.
