Free swimming lessons aimed at preventing child drownings

July 20, 2012

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is joining with the Red Cross to prevent childhood drowning.  Nine children under the age of 12 have drowned in metro Phoenix since the first of the year, according to the Children's Safety Zone, which monitors statistics from police and fire officials in the Valley. 

Inez Tennenbaum who chairs the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said this morning what the groups are doing to improve those stats.

"We want to bring the public's attention that these deaths are preventable. And that if your children don't know how to swim, this is a great summer to learn how to swim. They should access information in their local communities through nonprofit organizations that provide swimming lessons," Tennenbaum said.

You can find agencies that provide free swimming lessons at redcross.org.