Swimming instructor shares life-saving advice on wrapping kids in towels by pool

03 June 2023 , 11:16

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Swimming instructor shares life-saving advice on wrapping kids in towels by pool

Swimming in pools is the highlight of many parents and children's summer holidays, but it does come with its own stress-factors. For example, if you have small children you want them to stay as safe as possible while still being able to relax and have fun.

There are many safety factors to keep in mind, but one swimming instructor has shared some life-saving advice parents may never have considered before.

Water Safety Advocate Nikki Scarnati shared a water safety tip on her channel @scarnati.swim for when it comes to putting a towel around children, as if you do it wrong it could have devastating consequences.

The swim instructor says not to wrap the towel around the child's shoulders (scarnati.swim/Tiktok)

Instead, she says parents should wrap the towel under their arms (scarnati.swim/Tiktok)

Demonstrating in a video on TikTok, the certified swim instructor first showed how not to wrap a towel around your child by the pool. She explained: "I see it happening so many times and I myself, as a parent, did it without even realising it was a thing."

She then demonstrated that when children get out of the pool most parents want to naturally drape the towel over their shoulders, so all parts of their bodies are covered.

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However, Nikki said this isn't safe, as "if they were to fall in the pool this way, all of their limbs are going to be restricted underneath a wet towel".

Instead, the Drowning Prevention Educator recommends you first dry their arms off, before wrapping it around their body, but keeping their arms free on top. Nikki added: "That way, if they end up in the water they still have access to their limbs to self rescue and they're that much safer".

It also means that if they fall they are able to "catch themselves if their arms are not restricted".

Many parents in the comment section were grateful for the tip, with one person sharing: "I can confirm this is true. When I was two I fell into the deep end of a rec pool with my towel on around my arms, and I had to be rescued."

It has previously been pointed out that what you child wears while swimming is also crucial when it comes to safety.

Bright-coloured swimming costumes are usually preferable so they can be spotted quickly.

"If the worst does happen, being able to quickly find a child in the water could save vital seconds and make the difference between a fatal and non-fatal incident," says Swim England's website.

Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz