drowning

Part 1 of 2 part series By Erika Winston With the summer heat in full swing, stuff the swimming pool is a favorite destination for cooling off and having fun.…

In 2006, in Toledo, Ohio, Wanda Butts received the call no parent wants to receive or hear. She was in a complete state of shock when she found out her son was dead. Her son had drowned while rafting on a lake with friends. He did not know how to swim and was not wearing a life jacket. This situation has become too common for parents of young or even older children at the pool, beach, or wherever there is water. So often we worry about our children’s safety when it comes to violence or driving, but water accidents never cross our minds. The basics of learning how to swim is very often overlooked, especially for the African American community.