Free Water Safety Classes At the Yarrow Family YMCA

June, July, and August are the peak months for childhood drownings, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Yarrow Family YMCA branch of the Southeast Ventura YMCA is hosting free water-safety classes for ages 5 through 12 with little or no water experience.

YMCA’s Safety Around Water (SAW) program offers multiple sessions. The 12-class session runs from June 29 through July 16. Classes take place on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Two-week sessions of eight classes each are from June 8 through June 17 and from June 22 through July 2, with a number of afternoon class times available.

“The program is ideal for children who have not taken swim lessons and would have difficulty exiting the water on their own if they were to fall in,” says Oscar Ambrosio, aquatics program director at the Yarrow Family YMCA.  

The YMCA introduced SAW in 2018. Since then, the YMCA has been committed to prioritizing drowning prevention in the community so everyone can safely enjoy the health and recreational benefits of swimming.

The Yarrow Family YMCA is at 31105 Thousand Oaks Blvd. in Westlake Village. To register and for more information, go to https://www.sevymca.org/safety-around-water. For questions, email yarrowaquatics@sevymca.org.