What this water safety skill is
In an emergency, clear words bring help faster. This skill teaches your child to shout for help first. Then they give a short message: where the person is, what happened, and whether they are still in the water.
For home and condo pools, your child also learns the address or where to find it, because emergency services need it to reach you. It follows spotting a swimmer in trouble and leads on to helping from the side without getting in.
Why it matters
Help comes faster.
A loud, early shout brings the nearest adult or lifeguard running. Every moment matters.
Clear details save time.
Saying where and what happened lets adults and responders act right away.
Practised words come back under stress.
In a scary moment, people fall back on what they have rehearsed. Practising in a calm lesson gives your child words that are ready to go.
Addresses matter at home pools.
Emergency services need an address to find you. Many children, and adults, don't know it for a pool they are visiting.
Who it is for
This is for children, teens and adults. Young children learn to shout for an adult, say what they saw and know their home address. Older children learn to find the lifeguard or an adult and point the way. Teens practise calling emergency services, giving the address and staying on the line. If you are learning as an adult, you practise the same call, and how to send someone to meet the responders.
