Northeast Arc Launches Saving Lives Swim Program After Rash Of Drowning Deaths

DANVERS, MA — Northeast Arc has launched a new swim program aimed at reducing the risk of childhood drowning across the North Shore and Cape Ann following a rash of tragic water deaths last summer.

Through the Saving Lives Swim Program, Northeast Arc will now offer free swimming to lessons to children 6 months and older enrolled in the agency’s Early Intervention program.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention more children ages 1 to 4 die from drowning than any other cause of death. The risk is greatest among children with autism. According to a 2017 study by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, children with autism are 160 times more likely to die from drowning than their neurotypical peers.

"Learning how to swim is a critical part of childhood development, and important to ensure the safety of children around bodies of water," said Anne Dolan, director of Northeast Arc Early Intervention. "Through swim classes, children can acclimate to the water while building comfort and confidence, while parents can learn about the importance of supervision for drowning prevention."

The Saving Lives Swim Program is made possible by Northeast Arc’s Changing Lives Fund, which was established in 2017 through a gift from Swampscott philanthropist Steven P Rosenthal.

"When Steve established the Changing Lives Fund, he challenged Northeast Arc to find new and innovative ways to support our families, and I believe the Saving Lives Swim Program does that," said Jo Ann Simons, President and CEO of Northeast Arc. "By making swimming lessons more accessible, we can ensure that families are able to safely enjoy the water all summer, and year-round."

Swimming classes are for children enrolled in Early Intervention and will be offered at the JCC of the North Shore, as well as multiple locations of the YMCA of the North Shore and YMCA of Metro North.

Early Intervention services are offered free of charge to all families, and parents can self-refer by visiting earlyintervention.ne-arc.org.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)