SwimSafe4Life Receives National Attention Promoting Swim Safety Principles for Parents
Parents turn personal story of loss into resource filled website for swim safety.
SwimSafe4Life, the mission of John's Helping Hand, launches a website promoting swim safety in conjunction with an interview on ABC’s 20/20. The show is scheduled to air May 9, 2014. Founders, David and Kathleen Wollin Pluchinsky, have created resources for parents, pool supervisors, aquatic directors and lifeguards to encourage more complete training and poolside supervision.
John’s Helping Hand was born from a story of deep personal loss. The Pluchinsky’s son, John, the second of three sons, drowned in a highly regarded and popular private club pool in 2007. There were 2 lifeguards and 6 counselors’ on-duty. He was an energetic and tender hearted four- year-old, excited for a fun day at camp. Kathleen Wollin Pluchinsky, born into a family steeped in lifeguarding excellence, was the most shocked of anyone. She has devoted the last seven years to discovering the often unknown facts from swim safety experts of how to swim safe for life. Most lifeguards have little or no training in recognizing the signs of a drowning victim, particularly children. She is passionate about changing that fact.
Raising awareness of the importance of critical life-saving training and poolside supervision and empowering parents’ with the information needed to facilitate change is the mission of SwimSafe4Life. Every parent needs this information. Every year for each drowning death, there are even more near drowning’s that leave the victims with permanent brain damage.
SS4L focuses on simple yet fundamental basic standards that must be implemented at every aquatic facility to ensure the safety of all patrons. It is also a great educational resource with detailed information for all parents empowering them to make informed water safety decisions and to insure the aquatic facility prioritizes the safety of their child. SS4L also promotes a positive message for lifeguards; it’s Not Just a Summer Job. This is targeted at a return to the culture of honor that initially inspired lifeguarding in the USA.
Kathleen Wollin Pluchinsky addresses this critical lifesaving information through public speaking engagements and additional safety resources in development. The goal of the Keep Kids Afloat project is to create a campaign that will be organized and managed by local volunteers at public and private aquatics facilities across the country. The focus is to collect life vests, U.S. Coast Guard approved personal flotation devices (PFDs) of all sizes that are in safe condition for use by patrons at these facilities. These life vests are a requirement of any aquatic facility that hopes to earn a SwimSafe4Life Certificate.
SwimSafe4Life’s hope is for all, armed with the fundamental standards and water safety information provided on this site, to swim safely and enjoy a sport that has captured the hearts of people around the world. SwimSafe4Life! It’s not just a possibility; it’s the goal of John’s Helping Hand.
For Media Inquires, contact Joan Tankersley, jt@vividmix.com, Houston, TX, 281-686-1287
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