Hummer Sports Park provides swimming tips for a smooth Summer

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Memorial Day is coming, meaning many pools are opening to the general public. It also marks a need to stay safe.

“You want to have fun, but you want to be safe around the water too. You have to respect the water,” said Kirk Meier, the Natatorium manager at Hummer Sports Park.

Meier says that it’s important for people to be careful after such an extended hiatus away from swimming.

“Well first off, go easy. It‘s been maybe 9-10 months for most people since they’ve been in the water. At the end of last summer, you may have been able to dive off the board and swim the length of the pool, and you might be a little bit more out of shape now. So go in gradually and build back up to it. Don’t get in over your head literally.”

If you are not an experienced swimmer, staying afloat could save your life.

“If you find yourself in the water unexpectedly and you’re not a very strong swimmer, the first thing you want to do is get your head back, try to lay on your back and relax,” said Meier. “With your head back, you can yell for help, you can breathe, and you can wave your arms a little bit to get some attention if you are in distress. But get your head back, and kick your feet.

But what if you need to save someone else stuck in the water? Stay calm, stay out of the water, and use the closest instrument near you to reach the person.

“If they’re close to the edge, you can lay down next to the water because you don’t just want to lean out where they’ll pull you in. Have them grab your arm, and use a stick, anything that floats. You can throw a football, or a small spare tire out of your trunk. A foam noodle will work great to rescue somebody. You can reach out with it. If they’re a little too far out, you can throw that noodle to them, they can grab it, put it under their arms, and hold on until you can get them to the side.”

It’s also important for everyone involved to stay as calm as possible.

“Talk to them, keep them comfortable, as much as you can, and reassure them. Tell them to kick their feet. So when they have something that’s floating, they can kick their feet and make some progress.”

Whether you’re an adult or a child, there are age-appropriate classes that you can take to hone your swimming skills. Hummer Sports Park offers both for $40 if you are in the Topeka public school system, and $50 if you are not. The YMCA offers classes for both learning groups.

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