FOCUS: Ways to ensure a summer full of safe, fun swimming

Staff reports  |  A day of enjoying the sun and swimming may seem relaxing, we have to beware and prepare for the inherent risks of the water.

Charleston County Parks highlights safety is a top priority as 10 people drown unintentionally every day.  To ensure a safe summer during the swimming season, the park system has lifeguards at its beach swimming areas and waterparks. Lifeguards undergo extensive education and training on drowning prevention and recognition. The county parks organization employs more than 275 lifeguards per season to ensure guest safety.

While lifeguards are the final link in the chain to prevent drownings, swimmers can do their part to ensure their own safety. Officials recommend following five easy safe swimming tips:

• If possible, swim in designated zones that are supervised by lifeguards;
• Obey all posted signage, flags, warnings and lifeguards’ commands;
• Always go into the water with a buddy who can swim; never swim alone;
• Inexperienced swimmers should wear a properly fitting U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket when enjoying the water; and
• Designate a water watcher to supervise children in and around water.

At the beach, it is essential for beach swimmers to learn how to identify rip currents and be able to escape from them. Rip currents are identified by choppy and different colored water, a break in a wave pattern or foam and seaweed moving out towards the sea. Charleston County Parks advises swimmers not to panic or swim against the current if you are caught in one. The best way to escape is to swim along the shoreline and swim back to the shore in a diagonal direction to move away from the rip current. In addition, swimmers are urged to wave to get the lifeguards’ attention so they can assist in a rescue.

Learning to swim is a great way for people to feel more comfortable in and around the water. Charleston County Parks offers swim lessons throughout the summer at West County Aquatic Center in Hollywood. Lessons are broken down into age groups: Baby/Tot (6 months to 3 years old), Preschool (3 to 6 years old), Youth (6 to 13 years old), and Teen/Adult (13 years old and up). Lesson curriculum varies based on the participant’s swimming experience level and comfort in the water. Each session of 4 lessons is $25 per participant. To learn more about and register for swim lessons at Charleston County Parks, visit CharlestonCountyParks.com.

• For more information on water safety and Charleston County Parks’ beach parks, aquatic facilities, and swim lessons, call 843-795-4386 or visit CharlestonCountyParks.com.