National Water Safety Month

With Memorial Day weekend almost here, the unofficial start of summer is right around the corner. As kids and families flocking to public and residential pools, lakes and beaches, it's important to remember that drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years old, and sadly African American children ages 5 to 14 are three times more likely to drown than their white peers.

That’s why during the month of May, the YMCA of the USA recognizes National Water Safety Month and has pledged to provide more than 18,000 scholarships for free swim lessons to children from underserved communities—with an emphasis on reaching at-risk African American and Hispanic/Latino children—as a part of its Safety Around Water program.

• 3 kids die every day from drowning
• Drowning is the second-leading cause of deaths for kids ages 5-14
• 70% of African American and 60% of Hispanic children cannot swim, compared to just 40% of Caucasian children
• 88% of kids who drown do so under adult supervision
• 60% of kids who drown are within 10 feet of safety
• Participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88% among children one to four years old
• More than 1 million kids take swim lessons at the Y every year