On May 23, NBC 5 brought back Swim Week in North Texas to warn residents about the risks of drowning as they prepare for the summer months. It is part of National Water Safety Month in May to raise awareness about the possible dangers and causes of drowning.
According to NBC 5, drowning is the leading cause of death for kids under 5.
Jennifer Pewitt, the associate vice president for aquatics at the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas, stated children are at risk near any water, even bathtubs.
“I’ve sat across the table from so many families in her just horror stories. I’ve been in this job 17 years, and I was doing this before I had kids,” Pewitt said. “So at that time, I was thinking, how does this happen? And then, you have kids, and you realize you don’t watch your children 100% of the time. You don’t have your eyes on your kids because you know you’re going to hear them if they need you.”
According to Pewitt, pools need another kind of supervision to keep children safe.
“I think that’s that’s the message is that you supervise your children in a different way,” Pewitt told NBC 5. “And really, by designating just one person to watch the water, that makes the biggest difference.”
In addition to other organizations in North Texas, the YMCA gives out Water Watch tags to designate the adult in charge of watching kids at pools or lakes.
“Unfortunately, we are brought into this culture where we’re constantly distracted,” Pewitt said. “We feel like we always have to be doing more than one thing at a time. And because drowning is silent, and it’s fast — if you’re not physically watching your kids, you’re not going to see them when they need help.”
Leaders at the YMCA want North Texas families to enroll kids in swimming lessons to lessen the risks of drowning this summer. The organization is currently one of the largest in the state working to prevent drownings.
Last year, according to the YMCA, Texas had 77 fatal child drownings, a greater number than the state saw before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think part of that like in 2020 and 2021 is that a lot of people were home,” Pewitt told NBC 5. “And when you look at drowning deaths, especially in preschoolers, most of those drowning deaths happen in backyard pools or community pools.”
Julie Jackson, vice president of programs for the Fort Worth Drowning Prevention Coalition, predicted the number of drownings would likely increase this year.
“I just hate to think that they are going to increase, but I think it is,” Jackson said. “I mean, people want to get out, we want to enjoy the lakes and rivers, and I think that’s where we’re going to see it this year.”
Cities across North Texas are also recruiting lifeguards to fill vacancies. The YMCA of Metro Dallas is looking to hire 200 lifeguards this summer. The City of Richardson announced it will be operating its pools on a modified schedule to compensate for the lack of lifeguards.
