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Surprising facts about drowning prevention and what you can do

"If they were to fall into the water anywhere—a pool, a lake, a river—what are the steps they have to do?"

O'Fallon, Ill. — O'FALLON, Ill. - All it takes is a drop to start a ripple effect, but at 22 months old, Christopher Schlachter was already making a splash.

“He knew how to swim, basics,” said his mom Holly.

Now Christopher is teaching his little sister, Isabella, how to swim—though he'll never meet her.

“There was huge fear with, you know, taking her to the pool,” Holly said. “It's just one step at a time and learning to trust again, learning to believe, and just knowing that we can make a difference, but we have to overcome that fear to do that.”

Christopher was rambunctious and playful—but a handful Holly while Christopher Senior was deployed in 2007. Holly reluctantly agreed to let her mom and stepdad give her a break. They'd watch him at their Colorado home—with a pool.

“That night, all the wrong stars aligned,” she said. “They had all the proper safety precautions, they had a cover, they generally had the doors all locked to the patio.”

A sudden storm, a house full of friends, a door left unlocked—led to a discovery of little Christopher in that pool.

“About 10 minutes too late,” she said. “My stepdad answered my mom's phone and said very somberly ‘there's been an accident, and Christopher has passed away.’ And I started screaming. And told them that he was lying and that I didn't believe him.”

“The difficulty is knowing that even under you know the best of conditions, accidents still can happen,” said Christopher Senior.

It's why when the military moved the Schlacters to O'Fallon, Illinois, Christopher Junior's name moved with them by way of a legacy fund at the local YMCA.

“I think the big part too in part of the education process isn't to teach fear with water, it's to teach respect and education,” said Christopher Senior.

They've provided free swim lessons for hundreds of families, some who wouldn't otherwise learn, others who don’t learn enough.

“I think that's why we're here today too to educate everybody,” said Christopher Senior.

“If they were to fall into the water anywhere—a pool, a lake, a river—what are the steps they have to do?” said Holly.

Little Christopher might not be here today, but the love surrounding him keeps flowing.

“Even though it was just 22 short months, it was amazing how many people he touched in his life too.”

For more information of the programs at the YMCA, including available financial assistance, click here.

DROWNING PREVENTION:

The CDC reports many drownings happen within just a few feet of the nearest adult—and often, they don’t recognize the signs of drowning. They expect to see signs like splashing and flailing, but those responses only last a few seconds. Then, you only have a few minutes to help pull the person out of the water.

The ABC’s of drowning prevention are a big focus of the classes the Schlachter family helps provide.
A: Adult supervision. Make sure an adult is nearby—within arm’s reach—whenever kids are in the pool. That adult’s sole job should be monitoring the kids in the water, not socializing or checking their phone. It’s also important to teach kids to always ask adult permission before entering a body of water.

B: Barriers. Properly install fences and covers over the pool, and make sure the gates and doors are secured and locked.

C: Classes. Along with swim lessons, learn CPR and other life-saving classes, especially if you have a pool in your yard or frequent rivers and lakes.

More on drowning prevention from the CDC here.

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