Dad Life: Preventing Drowning, A Mission For Charlotte Aquatics

CHARLOTTE, N.C.- With summer in full swing, being outdoors in the open water or having a good time in the pool is an activity a lot of people look forward to. With that being said, the importance of learning how to swim is a critical tool children of all ages should try to learn early in life.

“I think a lot of parents realize the prevalence of drowning and how dangerous being around water can be, but I don’t know if parents understand how often it happens.” said Charlotte Aquatics owner Allie Gaines.

Allie purchased the business from her mom Kelly, who owned it for more than 14 years. For Kelly, she bought the business after enrolling Allie in swimming classes after a close call early in childhood. “She was about two years old, and wasn’t swimming at the time. I happened to look up and she was reaching for a toy when she fell in. It was quick, it was silent. If I didn’t look up, If I was away, she would have certainly drowned.” said Kelly Gaines.

“Drowning is the leading cause of death for kids under 4, second leading cause of death for kids under 14 – so it’s widespread.” Gaines says it can also happen anywhere, and in any demographic. “Swimming lessons reduce the risk of drowning by 88%, so swim lessons are critical.” said Gaines.

ISR is a method not taught at Charlotte Aquatics. They focus on other ways to teach your children how to swim, gaining confidence a long the way. Swimming has also been proven scientifically to help with increased IQ. Gaines says “Because of the motion you get while swimming, you are really creating those neuro pathways in your brain. They found vocabulary recall is better, even found that IQ scores are higher when you start at a young age.”

You can enroll your child in swimming lessons by visiting www.charlotteaquatics.com