Water Wise at the Y

Education is always better when it comes with the chance to take a splash in the pool on a hot day. 

The Water Wise program hosted by the YMCA of Collier County’s Marco Island campus, sponsored by the Coast Guard Auxiliary, assisted by the Marco Island Fire-Rescue Dept., and attended by Tommie Barfield Elementary third grade students, has a serious purpose: to help make local children safer when they are on or near the water. Of course on Marco Island, they are at least near the water all the time.

But what makes the Water Wise activities a no-brainer is the fun factor, which could be summed up by the old saying – “just add water.” The kids got to learn useful information and life skills, while also getting to go – during a school day! – and jump in the cool waters of the pool at the Y. If I can reach back to the long-ago third-grade version of myself, it doesn’t get any better than that. 

The skills the kids learned were important. The YMCA provided a swim test for all the participants. They worked on their swimming – non-swimmers were identified with a wristband, which by itself will not save their lives, and then fitted with a personal flotation device (PFD) or lifejacket, which can. Those already proficient in swimming swam laps got to demonstrate their prowess, and got to have fun just splashing around. 

And here’s a quick public service announcement, to all parents and grandparents of local children: TEACH THEM TO SWIM. There is nothing more important to keeping them safe and alive, particularly when living on an island. 

YMCA swim coach Kamal Farhat, who has spent 24 years at the Y teaching swimming and coaching competitive swimmers, emphasized the importance of being able to survive if you find yourself in the water. 

“There is a lot of drowning in Florida. Kids need this to be safe,” he said. Even if they are not fully competent swimmers, “if they know how to float, they can stay (floating) for hours.” 

Part of the swimming instruction taught by Coast Guard Auxiliary (CGA) volunteers focused on the proper floating technique, with or without a PFD. 

“The key is to conserve body heat,” said CGA Flotilla 95 staff officer Dick Hurd. “Even in 94-degree water, you can die of exposure.” The CGA volunteers showed the children how to tuck their legs up or huddle with others so as to present less surface area to the chilling effect of even warm water. 

Another topic covered during the Water Wise activities was the proper technique for entering and exiting a life raft. Volunteers told the kids to always ask permission, which could be useful depending on how dire an emergency they were escaping, and always to ask, “Where are the life jackets?” before boarding. Hopefully, the life jacket is firmly strapped onto the young mariner. 

Boat-related instruction also covered what to do if an emergency radio call needed to be made, and the child was the one who had to do it. CGA volunteer Mark Schwab took a succession of groups through the procedure, starting with getting the radio turned on and onto channel 16, the Coast Guard hailing and distress frequency. 

Each third grader in turn was walked through the importance of reporting, “What is the name of your boat? Where are you? What is your emergency?” Standing as they were in a poolside cabana at the YMCA, this required the youngsters to use their imagination, and they produced some unlikely answers, such as “We’re at Walmart,” as well as bemused expressions. Suggested emergencies included “we’re sinking,” “we’re on fire,” and a shark attack. 

 If it’s the kid who has to get on the radio to call for help, the emergency is almost certain that the responsible adult on the boat is either overboard or unconscious. With that in mind, the other major component of the Water Wise safety instruction covered first aid techniques, primarily CPR. 

The Water Wise program took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, with 35 students on the first day and 43 on the second. On Wednesday, the MIFD firefighters and EMTs who had been conducting the first aid component received an emergency call and had to depart quickly. The CPR instruction was then taken over and handled by Frank Ciriello of the CGA, who is himself an EMT. 

The Water Wise program is part of National Water Safety Month. Choosing May as the month tells you the program is geared to northern locations, where water activities are just gearing up, and not Southwest Florida, with our year-round aquatic lifestyle. But take advantage of it. If any youngsters in your household don’t swim, summer vacation is an ideal time to get them “in the swim.” The Y offers a wide range of swimming instruction for children as young as six months old (with their parents), and any age over that. 

On one side of the pool area at the Y is a sign designating it the “Dottie Weiner Pavilion,” in honor of the woman who taught generations of Marco Islanders how to swim. The YMCA of Collier County’s Marco Island campus at 101 Sandhill Street offers a host of activities for all ages, from preschool through Parkinson’s support. For more information, call 239-394- YMCA (9622) or go online to www.ymcacollier.org.