Brooklyn Center Offers Free Swim Lessons To Combat High Drowning Rate
As school lets out this week for many kids, Brooklyn Center is trying to combat a startling statistic when it comes to water safety.
“Unfortunately the drowning rate in Brooklyn Center is about three times that of the state average,” said Rori Conners, Brooklyn Center’s aquatics supervisor.
Brooklyn Center is a diverse community. A majority of the city’s residents are persons of color. Statistics show non-white children have a significantly higher drowning rate, said Conners.
According to data from the CDC, more children ages 1-4 die from drowning than any other cause of death. Minnesota’s age-adjusted drowning rate is 1.12 per 100,000 people, the data showed.
Conners shared shared how the city is embracing its diverse community by providing free swim lessons and teaching water safety to families. That included a free event on Saturday called “Duncan’s Day of Summer Safety” named after the city’s dolphin mascot.
Saturday’s free swim lesson event at the Brooklyn Center Community Center.
Events like this work, said Conners. She said they see significant improvement after just eight swim sessions.
“We believe it’s especially important to offer opportunities like this,” said Conners. “It might be a lot of these kids first time in the water, so giving them that love, teaching a little bit about water safety, and we hope it’s going to grow from there.”
Parents also learned first aid and tips on sun protection during Saturday’s event.
