Mississippi Gulf Coast YMCA raises awareness for water safety

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WXXV)- Summer fun starts with staying safe and as World Drowning Prevention Day approaches, the Mississippi Gulf Coast YMCA is working to make sure families have the tools to enjoy the water with confidence.

Mississippi’s drowning rate is 41 percent higher than the national average. So, ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day on July 25, the YMCA is diving into water safety to help save lives.

For more than 50 years, the Mississippi Gulf Coast YMCA has been helping families build confidence in the water through life saving skills and safety education. YMCA Aquatics Coordinator Grace Passarelli said, “Lifeguarding is not just about a fun job, it’s not about just sitting on stand, or just doing secondary duties, and cleaning. It’s about meeting people, watching over people, and taking care of them when they need help or just first aid. You could turn your back for even 10 seconds, just to grab a snack, and your child is already in the water drowning. That’s why this is so important to the YMCA and just in general.”

Drowning prevention begins before anyone enters the water with key safety measures like active supervision, properly fitted life jackets, CPR training, and knowing how to respond in an emergency. YMCA Aquatics Director Catherine Weems said, “We live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we are surrounded by water, the gulf is to the south of us, we have all these lakes and rivers. So, it’s really important that everybody knows how to swim. At the city of Pascagoula and Gulfport this summer, we were able to teach free swimming lessons at both of those locations to help take the financial burden away from individuals that don’t know how to swim.”

To help more families stay safe, the YMCA launched a community life jacket drive, making sure everyone has access to proper safety gear.

The indoor pool is currently under construction, but come September, swim lessons will be back.