Swimming lessons for infants can help stop unnecessary deaths [Video]

MESA, Ariz. — As excited parents cheer from the water, a 4-month-old baby paddles across the pool on their back. In the other corner of the pool, a group of toddlers is learning how to climb up out of a pool all on their own. Babies, toddlers and young children are here at Aqua-Tots to learn how to swim — and they’re loving it.

On average, 17 kids die every year from drowning in the Valley, according to the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona. Just this year alone, three children under 5 years old have drowned and died in Maricopa County. One of the most effective ways to prevent drowning is as simple as teaching young children to swim. Getting a child under 5 years old into swim classes can make all the difference in the world.

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