Wake Forest Baptist Offers Water Safety Event

May 20, 2011

Claiming the lives of approximately 4,000 children each year, drowning is the leading cause of death for infants and young children.

Due to the seriousness of this issue, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is holding a Water Safety Day on Monday, May 30, at the Sticht Center Auditorium and Warm Water Pool. This public event will teach participants how to better prepare their family for a safe summer season at the pool or lake.

The Medical Center will provide a free life jacket clinic dedicated to teaching participants how to properly choose and fit a life jacket for a child. This clinic will be held at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. in the Sticht Center Auditorium.

A “Learn to Swim” evaluation and water safety class will also be held for children ages 4 to 12 in the warm water pool at 10:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 2:15 p.m.

To register, please contact Debbie Drayton at ddrayton@wakehealth.edu or 336-713-8190 by Thursday, May 26.

More than 70 percent of people recently surveyed by the American Red Cross are planning to participate in water-related activities this summer, and almost 50 percent of parents with children between the ages of 3 and 17 plan to enjoy the water in an area where no lifeguard will be on duty.

To prevent water and swimming related injuries, follow these American Red Cross tips:

  • Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim. Always swim with a buddy; never swim alone.
  • Swim in areas supervised by a lifeguard.
  • Read and obey all rules and posted signs.
  • Children or inexperienced swimmers should take precautions, such as wearing a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device when around the water.
  • Watch out for the dangerous “too’s” – too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun, too much strenuous activity.

Read more water safety tips on the American Red Cross website.

EDITOR’S NOTE: If you would like to attend the event or see swim lessons prior to the event, please contact Lisa Davanzo. We hold preschool lessons on Fridays at 9:30 a.m.; level one lessons on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. and level two lessons on Thursdays at 4 p.m.

Media Relations

Megan Lee: news@wakehealth.edu, 336-713-4587

Lisa Davanzo: news@wakehealth.edu, 336-713-4587