Diving into water safety month with Olympic swimmer Brooke Bennett

Rachel Tucker
·1 min read
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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — May is National Water Safety Month. It serves as a reminder for parents to take precautions around the water and to make time for swim lessons for their kids.

Three-time Olympic Gold Medalist swimmer Brooke Bennett brings her love for the water to a new generation of swimmers. She teaches swim lessons and educates children about water safety at Clearwater for Youth (CFY).

Bennett will join WFLA Now’s JB Biunno live on Tuesday to discuss water safety month and how parents can help their kids – and themselves – stay safe.

The American Red Cross says to take the following sensible precautions when you’re around water, even if you’re not planning to swim:

  • Know your limitations, including physical fitness, medical conditions.

  • Never swim alone; swim with lifeguards and/or water watchers present.

  • Wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket appropriate for your weight and size and the water activity. Always wear a life jacket while boating, regardless of swimming skill.

  • Swim sober.

  • Understand the dangers of hyperventilation and hypoxic blackout.

  • Know how to call for help.

  • Understand and adjust for the unique risks of the water environment you are in, such as:

  • River currents.

  • Ocean rip currents.

  • Water temperature.

  • Shallow or unclear water.

  • Underwater hazards, such as vegetation and animals.

Children should always be supervised, even if they know how to swim. Parents are urged to install safety devices, like gates, covers and alarms, on their own pools.

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