LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — One-year-old Bella spent the morning swimming fully clothed at the Aqua Tots pool in Lexington.
Her mother, Brittany Walters, said there's a good reason for that. She wants Stella to be ready in case she ever fell into a pool accidentally with her clothes on.
A few other kids also participated in the safety course, like Amy Stuck's two boys.
"If they were to fall in with clothes on I would be nervous that they wouldn't know what to do," Stuck said. "But now that they've done this, they know 'Oh, I can still swim even though I have on regular clothes or winter clothes'."
Some of the other kids were simply getting acclimated with being in the water.
Any work like this to improve water safety is crucial because research from the World Health Organization shows that drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death in children 14 years and younger.
And the risk for accidents goes up as demand for more backyard pools goes up. During the pandemic, especially in 2020, local businesses have seen a surge in sales.
That trend continues, according to about a dozen stores LEX 18 called locally on Tuesday.
"People have been staying home more and buying pools," Georgetown Pool Supply owner Jenny Charles said. "Business has been good."
It's clear that Kentuckians are loving the idea of having their own pools. And the parents LEX 18 spoke to said they, too, love time at the pool. They want their kids to have fun this summer, but in the safest way possible.
