The mission of SWIM ON Foundation is to eliminate drowning by raising awareness about the risks of drowning and by providing information on the layers of protection that prevent drowning. The founders, Kim and Lisa McMullin, lost their 22 month old son to drowning and they are committed to having no other family suffer such a loss.
The McMullins didn’t know the risks and the realities of drowning or the ways that can - and do - prevent drowning. Not knowing was tragic. Too many people still don’t know. People don’t know that drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 - 4, significantly ahead of motor vehicles and more than motor vehicles, falls, fires and poisoning combined, that it is the 2nd leading cause of accidental death for children 5 - 14 and 3rd for teens and young adults. People don’t know how fast it is - a young child can drown in 20 - 60 seconds - nor how quiet it is - victims are unable to shout or wave their arms. People don’t know that for every child who dies from drowning another 8 go to the Emergency Room and 40% of those are admitted often with life-changing disabilities. People don’t know that almost 70% of young children who drown do so at non-swim times. The list goes on but drowning is the most preventable injury.
SWIM ON Foundation wants people to know the facts but also know the layers of protection that can prevent this most preventable injury. The website - SwimOnFoundation.org - provides that information.