Proposed swimming lesson voucher program bill advances, aims to combat high drowning rates

TAMPA, Fla. - A five-year-old girl is in the hospital after nearly drowning in her family’s pool in Bradenton over the weekend, and those awful incidents happen all too often in Florida, spurring a new push to try and stop them in the state legislature.

There’s a swimming lesson voucher program currently making its way through the Florida Senate to make those skills free to low-income families with children four years old and younger.

Unintentional drowning is the leading cause of death for children in Florida under the age of 5, according to CDC data.

"Unfortunately, Florida’s fourth in the nation with child drownings, and Hillsborough County is in third for the entire state. It’s tragic, but it does happen here," said Desiree Ellison, the drowning prevention director at Tampa YMCA.

And with so much water around Tampa Bay and Florida, swim instructors said the basics can save lives even from the youngest age.

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"We say, as soon as the umbilical cord falls off, you can come bring them to us, and we'll get them in the water and get them swimming. That toddler age though is definitely the most popular. That's when they really can take off on their own," said Riley Magoulis, the general manager of Seal Swim School in West Pasco.

But swimming lessons can be pricey, so that motivated State Senator Travis Hutson, R- St. Augustine, to file his bill on a swimming lessons voucher program to provide those crucial skills for free to low-income families with young children. It's already cleared two committees this legislative session, and it goes to the fiscal policy committee on Wednesday.

"It'd be the first of its kind," said Hutson, who said the program would be run out of the state department of health. "It takes a second to take your eye off a child. And if they fall in, if they don't know to flip and float, that could be detrimental, with those seconds starting to be taken away."

The key is to turn seconds into minutes before help arrives. Magoulis said she’s heard from parents the difference lessons can make.

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"I've had a parent come to me and say, ‘It was the most incredible thing. They fell in yesterday.’ And the parents did the right thing, they waited in to see what was going to happen. And their little one, two years old, turn right around, swim back to the wall on their own, climb dried out, fully dressed the whole bit. That's all you want to hear is that it's a success," said Magoulis.

Tampa YMCA said they use mobile pools to go into communities, and a proposed swimming lesson voucher program is another step toward prevention.

"It’s terrifying, and if you’ve been impacted by even a near drowning, it’s something that will absolutely change your perspective on water safety," said Ellison.

Swim instructors said alarms and locks help a lot and can alert you. Bradenton police said that’s how the 5-year-old girl’s family knew she fell in and called for help.

The proposed bill has one more committee to clear on Wednesday before it can go to the senate for a vote next week.

If you’re looking for free swim safety lessons now, Tampa YMCA said its "Safety Around Water" series is open for registration with 1,000 slots open for classes March 11-14. For more information, click here.