Infant Swimming Resource (ISR)

The Water is Fine
Making water fun safe this summer
is easy for even your youngest Nemo-wannabe.

By Melanie Heimburg

A toddler sways left to right with each step as he clumsily walks in the backyard. He’s determined to reach a bright yellow, plastic toy--a toy that happens to be floating in the pool. Arms outstretched in front of him, he falls head first into the pool with a quiet splash.

Miraculously, he knows how to hold his breath as he wiggles his arms and legs underwater, ultimately flipping himself to his back. In this position he’s able to breath, call for help and even manages to paddle himself toward the edge of the pool—and to safety.

Infant Self-Rescue
Even though he’s not old enough to swim (and barely able to walk), this tiny tot was taught to self-rescue through Infant Swimming Resource, a methodology that teaches kids 6 months to 6 years (who are still too young to swim well) how to save themselves in an accidental water encounter.

Developed by Doctor Harvey Barnett, a lifeguard with a passion for water safety, ISR even uses special techniques to teach the method to non-verbal infants. During the one-on-one lessons, children are gently introduced to the water, then provided with the competence enjoy the water safely, at their own pace.

The Numbers Game
According to recent statistics, of all preschool drowning victims, 70 percent were in the care of at least one parent at the time. And it appears that timing really is everything: 75 percent of those preschoolers are missing from sight for less than five minutes; the majority of children who survive are discovered within two minutes following the submersion, and most children who die are found after 10 minutes.

How does it all add up? In addition to constant adult supervision of children at any age/swim ability combined with layers of protection (i.e., an alarm system and a fence and nearby rescue equipment), training like ISR has the potential to drastically change those survival statistics. If non-swimmers are taught how to float, breath and survive during an accidental confrontation with water, they increase their own odds of being rescued whether they are found within two minutes or 10.

Save Then Swim
Just like children are taught to crawl before they walk, ISR teaches a young water babe how to enjoy the water safely and save themself in the event of an accident long before they've developed strong swim skills (most children will learn to swim well around age 6).

During ISR instruction, babies 6 to 12 months learn how to hold their breath underwater, roll onto their back and rest and breath until help arrives. Babies learn the skills in a swim diaper, then are taught to repeat self-rescue while fully clothed.

Children 1 to 6 years learn how to hold their breath underwater, swim with their head down, roll onto their back to rest and breathe, and to roll back over to resume swimming toward the pool edge.

Water is Fun
There’s no question water is fun for children to play in. It's sparkly, it's easy to splash and things float in it. And, it's an especially essential source of recreation and respite during a Sacramento summer heat wave. Keeping your little fishies safe in and near the water requires three simple steps: adult supervision at all times, barriers guarding the pool and classes (swim classes for your wee one and CPR classes for you).

Turn the water into an empowering and fun experience for your entire family by following safety guidelines and taking preventative steps. With the proper steps in place, the family pool--or public pool or pond or lake--will be a spectacular spot for many great memories all summer long (for many summers to come).