Johns Creek swim school emphasizes importance of water safety

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. - It’s a startling statistic: according to the Centers for Disease Control, more children aged one to four years old die from drowning than any other cause. But health experts say those tragedies are often preventable, and that formal swimming lessons are a key step toward water safety.

That’s why this morning, we spent some time in the pool at Big Blue Swim School in Johns Creek, learning more about the programs and lessons offered there. Big Blue Swim School was founded more than a decade ago by Chris DeJong, a former top competitive swimmer at the University of Michigan. DeJong’s first location in Illinois has since grown into a nationwide network of schools, encompassing states from California to Virginia and including the Johns Creek location, which opened in 2020.

Staffers at Big Blue Swim School say swim lessons are offered year-round, and programs are divided into levels ranging from Baby Blue (for kids as young as three months old) to Big Blue (for those ages six to 12). Instructors say children are initially placed in their age-appropriate level, but may move to a higher level depending on their skills.

Aside from talking about the lessons offered at the school, John Creek general manager Keith Edelhoff-Baker also shared some basic water safety tips on Good Day Atlanta, including emphasizing the importance of adult supervision and wearing life jackets. He also says groups should always designate a "water watcher," which is an adult who can watch swimmers in the water — and that the role should be rotated among adults every 30 minutes.

For more information on Big Blue Swim School, click here. And click the video player in this article to hear more about the importance of swim lessons and water safety.