RIVERVIEW, Fla. - A Riverview swim instructor turned a terrifying personal tragedy into a mission to prevent childhood drownings across Florida.
Mom's drowning scare
What we know:
Living in Florida means living around water. Pools, lakes, and ponds are part of everyday life, but they also present one of the biggest dangers facing young children.
For Kari Bahour, that danger became painfully real when her 16-month-old son was found face down in a swimming pool.
Courtesy: Kari Bahour
"He was found in a pool... face down, unconscious and not breathing," Bahour said. "Just seeing your child completely lifeless, that changed the trajectory of my entire life."
Her son made a full recovery, but the experience changed her forever.
Courtesy: Kari Bahour
Turning pain into triumph
The backstory:
Bahour left her career as a paralegal and founded Watch Me Swim, where she teaches children survival swimming skills designed to help them float, roll over and reach safety if they unexpectedly end up in the water.
Bahour says many parents don't realize how quickly and quietly drowning can happen.
"I didn't know drowning was silent," she said. "Drowning does not discriminate. It happens to the best of parents."
After four children drowned over Mother's Day weekend in 2014, Bahour decided teaching lessons alone was not enough.
She launched the Water Smart Tots Foundation, which uses community donations and grants to provide scholarships for families who otherwise could not afford survival swim lessons.
Survival skills for children
What they're saying:
Amanda Myers enrolled her children because water is part of their everyday life.
"I wanted to make sure my kids were safe with so many lakes, and we own a pool," Myers said. "It was a requirement for us to make sure that my kids would have the skills to survive and save themselves."
Three-year-old Colton and his five-year-old sister Peyton spend just 10 minutes at a time in the pool, learning techniques that could one day save their lives.
"Having three kids, I'm outnumbered all the time," Myers said. "If they were to fall in, they know how to roll over, get to the edge and save themselves."
Myers says her family qualified for assistance, allowing her children to continue taking refresher lessons.
"It is a very invaluable resource for families," Myers said. "It helps keep them safe without having the financial burden of swim lessons."
How to get involved
What you can do:
For Bahour, every child who learns to survive in the water is another opportunity to spare a family from the heartbreak she once experienced herself.
To learn more about Watch Me Swim or apply for a Water Smart Tots Foundation scholarship, click here.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Watch Me Swim founder Kari Bahour, who shared her personal story and expertise, as well as parent Amanda Myers.