Aquatics Director, Kennell J. Talks Water Safety In The Carolinas

The weather is heating up and the pools, beaches, lakes are all calling my name! But before we get our bathing suits and swim trunks out, we need to have an important conversation about water safety.

May is National Water Safety Month. This is a time to promote water safety awareness and education about water especially with children and families. The goal is to reduce the risk of water-related accidents by encouraging safe swimming practices and overall water awareness.

I had an opportunity to chat with Kennell Jackson, McCrorey YMCA Aquatics Director, about water safety, his partnership with a local high school, and more. Check out our conversation below.

Water Safety Stats (from www.redcross.org)

African-American children ages 5 to 19 drown in swimming pools at rates 5.5 times higher than those of Caucasian children in the same age range.

An estimated 4,000 people die from unintentional drowning every year in the United States. That is an average of 11 drowning deaths per day.

Drowning is the #1 cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 years.

Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death among children 5-14 years old behind motor vehicle crashes.

For children younger than 5, 87% of drowning fatalities happen in home pools or hot tubs.

Those 5 to 17 years old are more likely to drown in natural water (ocean, ponds, lakes, etc.)

64% of African-American, 45% of Hispanic/Latino, and 40% of Caucasian children have few to no swimming skills.