A person’s first experience with swimming could make the difference with how they react in their future to a life-threatening situation at a pool, beach or wherever threats of drowning linger.
Exposing someone to the water as early as possible can help them better establish the swim skills they need to keep them safe later on.
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAm“%96 J@F?86C E96J 2C6 H96? E96J 86E 24BF2:?E65 H:E9 E96 H2E6C[” D2:5 v2CC6EE p5<:?D[ E96 D6?:@C >6>36CD9:A 5:C64E@C 7@C E96 *|rp :? r:ECFD r@F?EJ[ “E96 36EE6C @FE4@>6D E96J’== 92G6 :? E96 7FEFC6[ 2?5 =6DD 762C @7 E96 H2E6C]”k^Am
Get more from the Citrus County Chronicle
kAmu=@C:52 92D 366? E96 D:E6 @7 >2?J 5C@H?:?8 EC2865:6D 7@C J@F?8 49:=5C6?]k^Am
kAmuC@> a_`f E@ a_`h 4@>3:?65[ E96 $F?D9:?6 $E2E6 925 E96 9:896DE F?:?E6?E:@?2= 5C@H?:?8 C2E6 :? E96 &]$] 7@C 49:=5C6? 36EH66? ` 2?5 c J62CD @=5k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]7=@C:52962=E9]8@G^AC@8C2>D\2?5\D6CG:46D^AC6G6?E:@?^5C@H?:?8\AC6G6?E:@?^:?56I]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 DE2E6’D 962=E9 56A2CE>6?E]k^2mk^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]7=962=E9492CED]8@G^u{"&t#*0}6H^s62E9^r@F?EQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm$E2E6 962=E9 56A2CE>6?E >@CE2=:EJ 4@F?ED D9@Hk^2m E92E ed 49:=5C6? 36EH66? _\c J62CD @=5 5:65 7C@> 5C@H?:?8 :? a_a_ 24C@DD E96 DE2E6[ 2?5 E96 AC@G:D:@?2= 4@F?E 7@C a_a` H2D 2E gh @? uC:52J[ |2J `b]k^Am
kAm$@ 72C :? a_aa[ `d :?72?ED 2?5 E@55=6CD 92G6 5C@H?65 DE2E6H:56]k^Am
kAmq@C56C:?8 E96 vF=7 @7 |6I:4@[ 2?5 9@>6 E@ ?F>6C@FD =2<6D[ C:G6CD 2?5 >2CD9=2?5D[ r:ECFD r@F?EJ :D 9@>6 E@ 2 G2C:6EJ @7 H2E6C 3@5:6D[ ?@E :?4=F5:?8 E96 >2?J C6D:56?E:2= A@@=D]k^Am
kAmr:ECFD r@F?EJ’D >@DE C646?E C6A@CE @7 2 49:=5’D 5C@H?:?8 562E9[ 244@C5:?8 E@ DE2E6 962=E9 56A2CE>6?E C64@C5D[ H2D 2 a\J62C\@=5 :? a_`g]k^Am
kAm“(6 <?@H :E’D 2 A=28F6 @? E96 4@>>F?:EJ H:E9 49:=5 5C@H?:?8D[” p5<:?D D2:5[ “2?5 r:ECFD :D 5@:?8 2 =@E 36EE6C E92? 2 =@E @7 @E96C 4@F?E:6D]”k^Am
kAmxE’D 366? E96 >:DD:@? @7 E96 *|rp :? E96 4@F?EJ E@ <66A 5C@H?:?8 C:D<D =@H 7@C 2C62 J@FE9D 3J AC@G:5:?8 49:=5C6? 2?5 E96:C 72>:=:6D 2446DD E@ :ED DH:> AC@8C2>D 2?5 2BF2E:4D 46?E6C]k^Am
kAm“%96 J@F?86C H6 42? 86E E96> :? 2?5 766=:?8 E96 H2E6C :D 2 7F? A=246[ :?DE625 @7 92G:?8 E92E 762C @7 :E[” D2:5 y@C52? v2?8:[ E96 =@42= *|rp’D 2BF2E:4D 5:C64E@C[ “:E 96=AD E96> AC@8C6DD 2D E96J 86E @=56C 2?5 364@>6 DEC@?8 DH:>>6CD]”k^Am
kAmx? yF?6 2?5 yF=J[ E96 *|rp :? {642?E@ :D 6IA64E:?8 E@ D66 E96:C 7:CDE 32E49 @7 e\>@?E9\@=5D 56=:G6C65 3J wrp u=@C:52 r:ECFD w@DA:E2= E@ 2CC:G6 2?5 DE2CE E96:C 6:89E 7C66 DH:> =6DD@?D H:E9 E96:C A2C6?ED]k^Am
kAm“%9:D :D 2 8C62E H2J E@ E6249 E96> 2E 2 G6CJ J@F?8 286[ H:E9 E96 25565 36?67:E @7 E6249:?8 E96 A2C6?ED[” p5<:?D D2:5] “xE E62496D A2C6?ED H92E E@ H@C< @?[ 2?5 H92E E@ =@@< @FE 7@C H96? E96J’C6 2C@F?5 E96 H2E6C E@ <66A E96:C 49:=5C6? D276]”k^Am
kAmp5<:?D D2:5 E96 *|rp 92D 366? @776C:?8 49:=5\A2C6?E DH:>>:?8 =6DD@?D 7@C :?72?ED 2E 2 4@DE[ 3FE :E’D E96 7:CDE E:>6 E96 * A2CE?6C65 H:E9 E96 9@DA:E2= :? x?G6C?6DD E@ 8:G6 ?6H3@C?D @7 E96 4@F?EJ 2 7C66 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 86E 2 ;F>ADE2CE @? H2E6C D276EJ 2?5 DH:>>:?8]k^Am
kAm*|rp DH:>\=6DD@? G@F496CD H6C6 5:DA6CD65 E@ E96 7@C>6C=J\?2>65 r:ECFD |6>@C:2= w@DA:E2= 2?5 :ED =23@C F?:E 324< :? s646>36C]k^Am
kAm“(6 D9@F=5 36 D66:?8 E9@D6 <:5D 4@>:?8 :? E96 ?6IE >@?E9 @C D@[” p5<:?D D2:5 uC:52J]k^Am
With the assistance of a “boat” and her mother, Leighton Sayer kicks her legs in the direction of a rubber duck that floats in the Citrus Memorial Health System YMCA pool in Lecanto. The child’s mother, Dana, assists her as the two participate in the Y’s parent and child swim lesson class in December 2021.
Photos by Matthew Beck / Chronicle photo editor
kAm*|rp DH:> :?DECF4E@CD :?EC@5F46 2?5 96=A 244=:>2E6 323:6D E@ E96 H2E6C[ 86EE:?8 E96> C6=2I65 E@ E96? =62C? E96 ?6IE DE6AD]k^Am
kAm“xE’D DE2CE:?8 E@ E6249 E96> D@>6 @7 E96 32D:4 =:76\D2G:?8 D<:==D H6 7@4FD @? :? =2E6C =6DD@?D[” p5<:?D D2:5[ “=:<6 E@ 36 4@>7@CE23=6 7=@2E:?8 @? E96:C 324<D[ 4=:>3:?8 :? 2?5 @FE @7 E96 A@@= D276=J – E9@D6 D@CED @7 D<:==D]”k^Am
kAm“xE’D ?@E E6249:?8 E96> E@ ?646DD2C:=J DH:>[” 25565 v2?8:[ “2D >F49 2D =62C? E9@D6 32D:4 D<:==D E92E 364@>6 >6>@CJ 2?5 42? 96=A E96> :7 E96J H6C6 E@ 72== :?E@ E96 H2E6C]”k^Am
kAmp5<:?D D2:5 E96 * pDD@4:2E:@? AC@G:565 E96 =@42= *|rp H:E9 7F?5:?8 E@ @776C 49:=5C6? 36EH66? b 2?5 `a J62CD @=5 7C66 =6DD@?D E@ 36 D276 2C@F?5 E96 H2E6C]k^Am
kAmu@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE E96 =@42= *|rp’D DH:> AC@8C2>D[ 2?5 9@H E@ D:8? FA[ G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^E:?JFC=]4@>^>CbD3cdHQmE:?JFC=]4@>^>CbD3cdHk^2m[ @C 42== bda\d__\heaa]k^Am
kAmv2?8: 92D 2=D@ 366? C66?6C8:K:?8 E96 (2E6C $276EJ %2D<7@C46 7@C r:ECFD 2?5 w6C?2?5@ 4@F?E:6D[ 7FCE96C:?8 E96 *|rp’D A2CE?6CD9:A H:E9 x?G6C?6DD[ (9:DA6C:?8 !:?6D !2C< 2?5 q:46?E6??:2= !2C<]k^Am
kAm“~FC 7@4FD :D E@ ;FDE AC6G6?E 5C@H?:?8 :? r:ECFD r@F?EJ[” p5<:?D D2:5[ 255:?8 E96 *|rp H@C<D 4=@D6=J H:E9 @E96C 4@>>F?:EJ 8C@FAD E@ 4FC3 5C@H?:?8 562E9D]k^Am
kAmr:ECFD r@F?EJ 2?5 E96 r:EJ @7 x?G6C?6DD 2=D@ @776C DH:> =6DD@?D 2E E96 q:46?E6??:2= !2C< !@@= :? rCJDE2= #:G6C[ 2?5 E96 (9:DA6C:?8 !:?6D !2C< !@@=[ C6DA64E:G6=J] r@?E24E E96 4@F?EJ 2E bda\fhd\`cfg[ @C x?G6C?6DD 2E bda\fae\bh`b[ 6IE6?D:@? `b_g[ E@ 4964< 2G2:=23:=:EJ]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E96 D49@@= J62C[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^4:ECFD]7=@C:52962=E9]8@G^AC@8C2>D\2?5\D6CG:46D^6?G:C@?>6?E2=\962=E9^DH:>\D276]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm244@C5:?8 E@ E96 962=E9 56A2CE>6?Ek^2m[ E96 r:ECFD r@F?EJ $49@@=D {62C? E@ $H:> !C@8C2> AC@G:56D DH:> =6DD@?D E@ D64@?5 8C256CD :? E96 r:ECFD r@F?EJ $49@@= s:DEC:4E]k^Am
kAmr2== E96 D49@@= 5:DEC:4E’D 4@@C5:?2E@C @7 962=E9[ A9JD:42= 65F42E:@? 2?5 DA64:2= AC@8C2>D 2E bda\fae\`hb`[ 6IE6?D:@? aabh[ E@ =62C? >@C6]k^Am
