FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – May is nearly here, and it’s also almost National Water Safety Month.
Thousands will be making their way out onto the water this year. While you’re having fun, swim instructors are reminding people of what drowning can look like.
“They start to do, either like a doggie paddle, or are trying to keep their head out of the water. They’re treading water and they’re out of breath. When they’re out of breath, they can’t really shout out anything,” said Joseph Blake, assistant manager at Foss Swim School.
Drowning happens silently. You can alert a lifeguard nearby, or you can also lend a helping hand.
“They shouldn’t go and jump in, because that can lead to them being pulled underwater as well. So, instead, what you should do, is identify where you have some safety materials. So, that can be like a ring buoy that you see on a lot of boats. Or, even just like a pool noodle or something like that.”
Throw those materials out to the person in need. If you are the person who needs help:
“We’re doing our tiger paddles. So we’re reaching our arms all the way out in the water. We have our eyes out on the water as well. Once we need to take a breath or figure out where we’re at, we’ll flip over onto a back float, and we’re going to do some motion with our arms, we call these bird flaps.”
Once you catch your breath, start those tiger paddles again.
Remember, sometimes it’s not what you’re doing in the water. It’s what you’re wearing. In honor of National Water Safety Month, FOSS has launched a “Safe in Sight” campaign.
“Especially blue and black, even if your lake is clean or your pool is clean, that can blend in, especially when light is reflecting off it as well. Keep those bright colors, so like a bright pink, a bright yellow as well is fantastic.”
Whether you’re 60 or six months old.
“Baby classes run from six months up to three years. That’s really focusing on those safety skills like that flipping and that floating. Also, if we’re able to get inside a gate or something like that, and we fall off the edge, we’re able to know how to get back to the edge.”
It’s never too early or too late to learn how to swim.
At Foss Swim School in Fargo, the Spring Session (March 13th – June 8th ) is full, and enrollment is no longer open. Beginning May 6th, enrollment opens for the summer session (June 9th – August 30th).
Foss also offers a number of “Dry Land Sessions” where people can learn about wearing life jackets, flipping and floating, and waiting to enter water.
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