Despite the risks, with some knowledge and preparation, the water can be a wonderful place to play and make memories. Smith kindly shares the top water safety tips, applying her years of experience teaching keiki to swim safety throughout Oahu. Recognize drowning. A struggling swimmer might not always be apparent, so it is important to recognize the signs of drowning in order to assist immediately. “For the untrained person a drowning person may look like they are ‘swimming’ in one spot or just bobbing up and down for air, but they are essentially drowning and trying their best to survive,” describes Smith. “A misconception about drowning is that you might expect the person to call out for help or be flailing frantically and making a lot of splashes. But this usually isn’t the case, as the person drowning has probMarch/April 2025 HAWAII PARENT 135
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