April is a perfect month to start prepping for summer vacations. As the season approaches, families begin to make plans and are eager to enjoy outdoor activities. Aquatic experts augment water safety awareness to help families plan a safe summer season. Our mission is to come together to send out a message of awareness hoping that our audience not only listens to our recommendations but relates the message to others and helps us increase the number of people that are informed on how to prevent and deal with unsafe situations.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to make our community aware of the dangers one can encounter in, on and around water. Listed below are a few water safety tips one should follow:

·       Never swim alone; always swim with a friend or a family member.

·       Become aware of all of the potential water hazards that surround you. Read all rules and obey them.

·       Young children or inexperienced swimmers should always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket.

·       Enroll in learn to swim and water safety courses.

·       Create a safety plan that both adults and children can easily understand and carry out.

My message today is meant to reach out to as many people as possible in an effort to encourage them to help us prevent drownings and reduce aquatic emergencies. Life is precious and can be gone in a split second. It is heartbreaking to hear someone say that their loved one’s drowning could have been prevented.

 Let’s have fun this summer season but always remember to swim safely.

Nai Holloway

Aquatics Manager

Ascarate | Fabens | Canutillo