RESPECT THE WATE: POOLS OFFER GREAT WAY TO STAY COOL, BUT BE SAFE

Jenna Matthews practiced the back crawl stroke at Capaha Park Pool.

Bethanie Gosche, left, instructed Brock Richard as he tried rhythmic breathing.

Reba Anderson used a kickboard to keep afloat while practicing her kicking technique.

Stuart Henderson retrieved a ring from the bottom of the pool during a free-time swim.

Swimming is one of the most enjoyable ways to beat the summer heat, but people need to be safe in the water.

Children especially.

"The water is a force that gives life, but it can take it away, too," said Doug Gannon, Cape Girardeau's aquatics coordinator.

Cape Girardeau has two public pools, and Gannon said the average swimmers there are 11 to 12 years old. Children this age aren't always as safe as they should be.

And he said water safety cannot be stressed enough.

The biggest issue in water safety is that many children don't realize their limitations, often getting in deeper water than they should, he said.

"You'll see a child swimming and lose forward motion and begin to slow down," he said. "Then they stop swimming and start slapping at the water and flailing and then you know they're in trouble."

A lot of younger children use flotation devices in the water, but parents shouldn't place all their confidence in them.

"These things are not a substitute for swimming ability," Gannon said. "Kids will get in water over their heads and those things have a tendency to deflate."

And sometimes, children are encouraged by other children to do things that aren't prudent.

"There's peer pressure," he said. "Kids go off the diving board knowing they can't swim just because their friends tell them to."

Gannon said the water is a lot of fun and the pools are there for the kids to have a good time, but "the water should be respected any way you look at it."

That's why the pools have stringent rules and well-trained lifeguards. Children should never swim alone, Gannon said.

Getting children into the water early may make them stronger swimmers later on.

The American Red Cross has designed programs for children as young as 6 months and all of its programs stress safety, said Shawnna Rhine, the health and safety coordinator for the local Red Cross.

"The mother or father help the baby become accustomed to the water," Gannon said. "And in preschool, the kids can learn to do more."

Children ages 5 through 13 can actually participate in learn-to-swim classes, but Gannon warns that these classes fill quickly and those interested are then put on a waiting list.

Gannon called a swimming pool a controlled environment while lakes have less visibility.

"Sometimes you don't know what's under the water," Gannon said. "The depth may vary and a lot of lakes don't have lifeguards. That's when safety becomes a parent's responsibility."

Parents can help the lifeguards do their job, Gannon said.

"The most important thing a parent can tell their child is to be safe, stay where I can see you and listen to the lifeguard on duty," he said. "Prevention is no accident and if we prevent we don't have to respond."

Those interested in the swimming programs should contact the local American Red Cross.