Swimming Safety: Izzy Scott Foundation

AUGUSTA, GA (WJBF) – The most recent drowning in our area this week took the life of a two-year-old boy from Augusta.

With swimming season still a few weeks away, safety advocates want to ensure you and your family stay safe and use the loss of swimming fun to save lives.

“It’s just one of those things you can’t avoid, right? I mean, your kids love water,” said Walter Scott, President of the Izzy Scott Foundation.

The Izzy Scott Foundation was created when Walter Scott lost his 4-year-old son in 2022, drowning during a private swimming lesson. The incident led to the creation of Izzy’s Law in Georgia, which sets guidelines that private swimming coaches must follow when teaching a lesson.

“A lot of private swim instructors will say, ‘We’re going to train your child and they’ll be ready to swim in a week, but we need 100 percent focus from the child, which means you can’t stay. That’s a red flag,” Scott said.

Always having an extra pair of eyes during a swimming lesson is essential when a situation can arise. So even if the parent can’t stay, it’s important to have others to watch out for.

“I try to stay out of the way so he can focus on the instructor, but I like being able to see what’s going on,” said Vanity Youngblood, a parent.

The Izzy Scott Foundation is the resource group for Izzy’s Law. It provides information on lake safety, beach safety, and all things swim safety, and it also helped provide 120 free swimming lessons at the Kroc Center.

“We are doing everything we can to educate everyone in the state and nationally about what to look for when enrolling their children in swim lessons,” Scott said.

Parents who have taken the lessons tell me that their children have become more confident in and around the water since taking the lessons.

“Because I have a kid who has never been in a pool before, I really thought he wouldn’t do as well as he does. He’s getting more comfortable with the water. The instructors are great and he’s having fun. You just want your kids to get that essential lesson of what to do if they ever get in a tough spot,” Youngblood said.

Experts tell me the most important thing is to make sure your child wears a life jacket until he or she can swim. If you would like to sign up for swimming lessons at the Kroc Center, you can find out on their website. In addition to staying up to date with the Izzy Scott Foundation, you can find out about events here.