Make A Splash Aims To Save Lives

Jill Sheridan

Indy Parks Pools is partnering with USA Swimming Foundation to offer free water safety lessons through Friday at 18 pools around the city in an effort to save lives.

Every hour of every day, more than 40 people lose their lives to drowning, according to a 2014 report from the World Health Organization.

Debbie Hesse, executive director of USA Swimming Foundation says emphasizing the importance of learning to swim is one of the goals of the Make a Splash program.

"If a child learns formal swimming lessons it will reduce their risk of drowning by 88 percent," said Hesse.

Hesse says nearly 90 percent of children with parents who don’t swim won’t learn. The free water safety classes aim to break that cycle. "We feel that awareness is such a key piece and having that conversation with parents is such a big piece," said Hesse.

The lessons also focus on safety topics like following pool rules, using the buddy system and using life jackets. Throughout the summer, Indy Parks pools offers swim lessons to all ages and qualifying financial aid to those who apply.

For more information about times and participating pools call (317) 327-PARK.

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