About 1,000 children and adolescents die from unintentional drowning in the United States, making it the leading cause of accidental death in children from ages one to four, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hollidaysburg YMCA Aquatics Director Jenelle Lockard said that everyone should know how to swim, as unexpected events can occur in any body of water.

That’s why she said the YMCA has taught individuals from zero to 86 how to swim, from a mixture of private and group lessons.

Because May is Water Safety Month, the YMCA distributed coloring books and safety sheets to educate the public on water safety tips and tricks, while offering one-week intensive swimming lessons for those embarking on summer vacations.

Mirror photos by Patrick Waksmunski / Juniper Campbell, 7, of Duncansville, receives a lesson from swim lessons coordinator Taylor Rickabaugh at Blair Regional YMCA on Friday afternoon.

“Swimming lessons save our lives,” she said.

Children’s swimming lessons

Lockard said it’s never too young to start swimming lessons, as she’s recalled holding private lessons for a 4-month-old infant.

According to swim lessons coordinator Taylor Rickabaugh, infant lessons teach water acclimation. An alternate way to expose infants to water is to sit in the bathtub and spray the showerhead to splash their face.

Water acclimation lessons continue into three-year-olds, she said, teaching toddlers how to enter and exit the pool and how to handle being splashed. Parent and Me lessons teach parents about water safety and infants about an aquatic environment.

Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski / Carter Campbell, 5, of Altoona, swims with her grandmother, Jodie Campbell, of Duncansville, at Blair Regional YMCA on Friday afternoon.

From ages three to four, children learn how to doggy paddle, get their faces wet and what to do if swimming in the water without a flotation device. Later lessons include diving and flips.

Both private and group lesson prices are available through the YMCA’s website: https://blairregionalymca.org/programs/swimming-lessons/

However, an unsaid rule around the YMCA is that all children should learn how to swim, even if their parents can’t afford lessons.

Lockard said they look for available grants and scholarships to help offset costs, such as those offered through Nason Hospital and Spring Cove School District.

Many children are excited to learn a new skill, she said, and swimming is one they’ll remember into adulthood.

But, even if children learn swimming basics, parents shouldn’t take their eyes off their kids while swimming, because many can dispose of their flotation devices or fall into bodies of water by accident.

“An accident can happen at any time, even in your own backyard,” she said.

Adult swimming lessons

Adults can take swimming lessons, too.

Lockard said adults can take basic swimming lessons at the YMCA to learn freestyle, tread water, train for triathlons and relieve pain because of a medical diagnosis or surgery.

“Don’t be ashamed to get lessons at a later age,” she said.

According to Scientific American, more men than women aged 25 to 74 experienced the highest total number of deaths from drowning, and they frequently involved alcohol.

Wherever someone is, look at the rules associated with that body of water, Lockard said, noting that oceans have riptides and currents that public pools don’t.

“A lot of the time, people think they can swim better than they can,” she said, adding that some dive off boats and realize they can’t tread water in 50 feet of water and need to be rescued.

“It’s not something that comes to you unless you can think smartly around water, no matter the age,” she said. “If it seems dangerous, don’t do it.”

Just like bowling or golf lessons, she said that adults can also take private swimming lessons or learn alongside their children.

“It’s not a kid thing, it’s a safety thing,” she said of swimming lessons.

Along with the Blair Regional YMCA, swimming lessons are also held at the Bellwood-Antis Community pool.

Residents can take swimming lessons at a discounted rate, but non-residents can also enroll in classes as well, pool manager Heidi Soldner said.

Similar to the YMCA, the Bellwood-Antis pool offers group, semi and private lessons for individuals of any age who want to learn how to swim or spruce up their skills.

“It is your first line of defense against drowning,” she said. “Also, swimming is a lifelong, healthy form of exercise, and it provides many opportunities to learn new things and meet new people.” The Summit, Saint Francis University and the Greater Johnstown YMCA also offer swimming lessons.

How to prevent drowning

AMED responds to about two drownings a year, Executive Director Gary Watters said.

Last year, AMED responded to two drownings, one in March and another in June. One was a fatality.

Drownings can occur at all times and all ages, he said.

As a result, he said that swimming lessons are crucial for young children because they teach them how to float and not panic in the water during an unexpected situation.

“Most drownings occur because a person panics and they get tired, and that’s where they get into trouble,” he said.

The weather is another driving factor of drownings, as air temperature is currently climbing, but water temperature is staying low.

Someone can lose their breath when jumping in cold water, he said, starting a sense of panic, especially in children. Cold water can also trigger cramps, breathing problems, and, in some cases, hypothermia.

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.