Stamford Boys & Girls Club, ZAC Foundation partner for water safety camp
The CDC says drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children aged 1 to 4 and the second leading cause of unintentional death for children aged 1 to 14.
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The Stamford Boys and Girls Club and the ZAC Foundation are teaming up today to teach more than 100 children important water safety skills.
Children aged 5 to 9 and their families will attend a four-day water safety camp. They will have opportunities to learn important skills from first responders, starting with swimming.
"How to tread water, how to get in and out of the pool safely...they'll also be in the classroom learning about dryland safety and how wonderful first responders are and how much they do for their community,” said Megan Ferraro, the executive director of the ZAC Foundation.
The ZAC foundation works to ensure families have the tools to keep their children safe around water. It was co-founded by Greenwich couple Karen and Brian Cohn after their 6-year-old son, Zachary Archer Cohn, drowned in a drain entrapment in their backyard pool.
"It's really critical...they're learning about how to wear a life jacket, they're learning to never swim alone,” said Ferraro.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children aged 1 to 4 and the second leading cause of unintentional death for children aged 1 to 14.
"We're a city on the coast and we want to make sure that all the young people, especially after the Fourth of July weekend, have the tools to be safe in and around water,” said Craig Baker, CEO of the Boys And Girls Club of Stamford.
The camp provides the tools, but organizers say it’s still important to remind children of water safety skills at all times.
