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June 26, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels May 3, 2004 Getting wet safely By Steve Zimmerman The Associated Press Be it swimming, kayaking or canoeing down a river, in Oregon, many of the fun activities of the summer involves water. Practicing life-saving techniques, Navarre Herrera, 9, pulls Greg Kodyse, 11, out of the water during the YMCA's Water Safety Day Saturday at the Ashland Family YMCA. Satsuki Doi | The Associated Press But many who go near the water do not take its dangers seriously. That is where the YMCA steps in with family water fun and safety days like the one it held Saturday in Ashland. Josh Johnson, who is a water safety instructor at the Ashland Y, said the day was all about fun and education. "We are teaching the kids how to do a little surfing and we have rescues where the kids can jump in and rescue the lifeguards," he said. "We had a treasure dive where kids could dive in and grab some Easter eggs in the pool and get prizes for them and EMS is here doing a swift water extraction simulation." Johnson said as we head into the summer season, it is important for kids to be reminded of the dangers of water. "Because summer is approaching, and families are going to be spending time by lakes or at the river, this is invaluable," he said. "A lot of the kids that are here come every year and are pretty good swimmers. But EMS goes over boating safety and that is more what we are geared for; for kids to understand the dangers of the outdoor environment." Booked Response to swimming classes at the YMCA has been overwhelming. "We book every class full that we put out," Johnson said. "We add extra swim classes when they are full. We do splash weeks and as lot of outdoor water safety classes and they fill up quickly." Johnson said age should not be a barrier to teaching your child water safety and to swim. "We have classes for six month olds and up," he said. "It may be a little extreme but I know people who have brought their babies in here from the hospital when they were released. Kids are never too young to learn to swim or get in the water." One of those water babies is now seven-year-old Kai Fish, who swam under his mother's watchful eye during the family fun day. "He has had about three years of swim lessons," Kristi Fish said. "He loves the water and loves the pool here at the Y. It was extremely important for him to learn to swim. Oregon has so many water sports, I wanted him to be the strongest swimmer possible so when he gets older he can do those sports." Fish said Kai was always one who wanted to be in or near the water. "He is a fish," she said. "He is true to his name and loves the water." Safety for everyone Robert Walters, from Jackson County Fire District 3, said days like Saturday are important to everyone, child to adult. "We highlight the dangers of water and what can happen in the water," he said. "We tell them about drowning and how to safely swim in areas, swimming in cold water and how to protect yourself in the river by swimming in the right way and wearing personal flotation devices." Bilingual instructors are available to teach swim classes. "The Hispanic population in this valley tends to not be a swimming population," Johnson said. "So we are working to change that as we do not want any drowning victims at all. If we have a group that is predominantly non-swimmers we are going to try to target them as much as possible. So we have instructors that are bilingual and we are getting instructors that sign so we can reach a diverse population." Walters said there is a big difference between swimming in a lake and in the river. "I think people underestimate moving water, particularly the Rogue River," he said. "The water is quite cold, in the 40 degree range, and can take your breath away if you fall into it. The dynamics of the river current can sweep you away and also take your PFD off if it is not secured properly." Teaching rescue technique to young kids can make the difference between life and death, according to Johnson. "They need to know how to take care of themselves and maybe help a sibling or friend in trouble," he noted. "It may be as simple as reaching out or throwing them something like a floating device like a life jacket, a ball or rope." Johnson said majorities of drownings involve people who gave no thought of entering the water. "Most of the drownings in Oregon involve people who never intended to go into the water," he said. "So watching kids in the water is important but watching them around the water is more important." 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