Page 10 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • June 4, 2014 New survey: More than half of Americans can’t swim This year marks 100 years of American Red Cross swimming safety education, and the Red Cross is urging families to make water safety a priority this summer. “As we all gear up for trips to the pool, beach, rivers, and lakes, we’re asking that adults here in New Jersey make water safety a priority this summer,” said Mathieu Nelessen, regional CEO, Ameri- can Red Cross North Jersey Region. “Families need to make sure that both adults and children have the knowledge and skills they need to be safe in and around the water.” A new national survey shows that people believe they are better swim- mers than they actually are. The survey, conducted for the Red Cross, found that while 80 percent of Americans said they could swim, only 56 percent of the self- described swimmers can perform all five of the basic skills that could save their life in the water. These critical water safety skills, also known as “water competency,” are the ability to step or jump into water over one’s head, return to the surface and float or tread water for one minute, turn around in a full circle and find an exit, swim 25 yards to the exit, and exit from the water. If in a pool, one should be able to exit without using the ladder. The survey found while just four in 10 parents of children ages 4-17 report that their child can perform all five basic swimming skills, more than nine in 10 (92 percent) say their child is likely to partici- pate in water activities this summer. Overall, the Red Cross survey finds that more than half of all Americans (54 percent) either can’t swim or don’t have all of the basic swimming skills. The survey found that nearly half of Americans (46 percent) report that they have had an experience in the water where they were afraid they might drown. In addition, 19 percent said they knew some- one who had drowned, and 20 percent knew someone who nearly drowned. “Parents and care givers should take advantage of the summer months to enroll children in Red Cross swim lessons and download the free Red Cross Swim App to track their progress,” Nelessen said. “Parents and care givers, in addition to learning how to swim, should also know critical water safety rules and know how to respond to a water emergency, so they can protect children and others.” Red Cross swimming lessons help people develop skills and water safety behaviors that help people be more com- fortable and safe when they are in, on, and around the water. The Red Cross encour- ages all household members to enroll in age-appropriate water orientation and learn-to-swim programs. To find classes, contact a local aquatic facility and ask for American Red Cross swimming and water safety programs. The Red Cross has launched a new free Swim App to promote water safety for parents and caregivers of young people learning how to swim. Features of the Red Cross Swim App include: • Progress tracker for goals achieved in swimming lessons • Stroke videos and performance charts to help with proper techniques • “Help your Child Progress” activities that reinforce what is covered in lessons • Water safety and drowning preven- tion information for parents on a variety of aquatic environments. People can download the app for free in the Apple App Store, Google Play Store for Android, or Amazon Kindle Store by searching for American Red Cross or by going to redcross.org/mobileapps. The Swim App is not a substitute for learning how to swim. Parents can contact their local pool, aquatic facility or park and rec- reation department and ask for Red Cross swim lessons. Additional water safety tips are available at redcross.org/watersafety. The national public opinion survey was conducted for the Red Cross April 17-20, 2014 using ORC International’s Online CARAVAN omnibus survey. The study was conducted among a national sample of 1,024 American adults, including 201 parents of children aged 4-17. The total sample is balanced to be representative of the U.S. adult population in terms of age, sex, geographic region, race, and edu- cation. The margin of error for the total (continued on page 29)