Thanks to a generous donation by The Bennett Family and Spicewood Vet Clinic, Water Safety with Colin & Friends has made it’s way to another Lake Travis ISD elementary school.

After attending the Best Day Ever Party to Prevent Drowning in early 2019, The Bennetts felt compelled to donate this water safety education tool to their son’s elementary school because they have been present at parties with nonfatal drowning experiences.

What makes programs like these successful? A committed, caring school administration that understands the need for drowning prevention skills. Thank you to Principal Melanie Beninga and the entire West Cypress Hills Elementary School community for accepting this gift with open arms. Together we can reach so many more children and families with this important message.

Colin’s Hope was proud to host Bill O’Melia of Drennan’s Dreams Foundation for a presentation to aquatics professionals in the greater Austin area.

Bill O’Melia, Drennan’s Dad and founder of Drennan’s Dreams, spoke about the important roll that aquatics managers should play in creating a culture of safety in each of their facilities. Catch a sneak peek below, and learn more about Drennan’s Dreams at www.drennansdreams.org.

Colin’s Hope is honored to work with Drennan’s Dreams. Together with all of the Families United to Prevent Drowning members – we say #notonemore drowning and we will keep working to achieve this vision.

Colin’s Hope Executive Director presents at legislative briefing on October 18.

On October 18, 2018 the Texas Drowning Prevention Alliance hosted a legislative briefing to begin engaging and educating legislators and staffers around water safety and drowning prevention.

Colin’s Hope has launched multiple media campaigns to highlight National Water Safety Month. During the month of May, we will be sharing water safety tips, encouraging adults and caregivers to become Water Guardians by taking the Colin’s Hope Water Safety Quiz, and we will be partnering with FCB Health on an amazing campaign called NOT OUT OF THE WATER. Check out all we have going on in the coming weeks, follow us on Facebook for the latest information, and join our mailing list to receive water safety and drowning prevention tips year-round.

FCB HEALTH & NOT OUT OF THE WATER

Colin’s Hope has great news to share about a new partnership we have formed with FCB Health that will help us reach more families and children with valuable water safety and drowning prevention messages.

You may recall the “Demystifying Dry Drowning” story from KXAN News that ran on April 30, or have seen your Facebook feed full of the words “dry drowning,” “secondary drowning,” and “delayed drowning” (none of which are medical terms acknowledged by medical professionals). FCB Health NY has JUST LAUNCHED the website www.notoutofthewater.com in an effort to educate parents and caregivers of the drowning signs and symptoms they need to look for the AFTER LEAVING THE WATER. Colin’s Hope was able to help with the content of the site and FCB Health NY will direct site visitors to www.colinshope.org for general water safety resources and tips. We are so proud to partner with FCB Health to impact more families and children, ultimately preventing more drownings.

Below is the commentary we wrote to help simplify the definition of drowning after leaving the water, signs and symptoms of drowning and our most basic water safety tip: Watch Kids Around Water.

“Drowning is a process with multiple outcomes (Fatal,non-fatal with injury/illness and non-fatal without injury/illness). The medical definition of drowning is defined as “respiratory impairment from submersion/immersion in liquid” (Hawkings, Semprsrott & Schmidt).

The drowning process begins in water and the outcome can occur in water (as in most cases) or it can occur after leaving the water (as in some cases that have been recently described as dry, secondary or delayed drowning).

There are signs and symptoms in drownings that people need to look for after leaving the water if a person has experienced some type of water related incident (inhaling water, choking on water). Some of these signs are: trouble breathing, chest pain, persistent coughing, vomiting, foam around the mouth, low energy, extreme sleepiness, acting unusual and irritability. If you see these signs in your child, seek medical help immediately.

Bottom line: Watch Kids around water, Keep them in Arm’s Reach. If you do this, you will see a drowning incident as it happens and be able to react – either to rescue or watch for symptoms that may occur after leaving the water.

Thank you again for your attention to our mission to raise water safety awareness to prevent drowning. Together, we can achieve the vision of world where no child drowns.

NATIONAL WATER SAFETY MONTH PRESS RELEASE

Colin’s Hope: Kicks off the BE A WATER GUARDIAN CAMPAIGN to Prevent Drowning

Colin’s Hope is working throughout May to educate parents and caregivers of simple things that can do to prevent drowning

Austin , Texas May 1, 2018​ – May is National Water Safety Month and Colin’s Hope, a local water safety and drowning prevention organization formed in August 2008 after 4-year-old Colin Holst fatally drowned in a public, lifeguarded pool.

Colin’s Hope kicks off their annual water safety campaign this month to educate parents and caregivers of simple things that can do to prevent drowning as drowning remains the number one cause of unintentional death for children under 5 and a leading cause for ages 1-14. Yet drowning is preventable. Sadly, Texas has already lost at least 19 children to fatal drownings this year. 5x as many have survived a non-fatal drowning that will impact them and their families for their lifetime.

National Water Safety Month is a collaborative national effort to bring attention aquatic safety.

“Drowning is fast, silent, and preventable. This year marks the 10-year anniversary of our son Colin’s death and the launch of Colin’s Hope,” said Colin’s Hope founders parents Jeff and Jana Holst. “We are proud of all that Colin’s Hope has accomplished in the last decade and are passionately committed to doing all that we can to ensure that no other family loses
a child to drowning. Please remember that drowning is preventable and no one is drownproof. Please educate yourselves and change your behaviors to be safer around water. We challenge you to BE A WATER GUARDIAN. Together, we can achieve the vision of a world where no child drowns.”

Colin’s Hope challenges all parents and adults to be Water Guardians for children by taking the Colin’s Hope Water Safety Quiz at www.colinshope.org/watersafetymonth/

Colin’s Hope is excited to partner with O’Neill’s Pools as they gather life jackets for area loaner stations! Colin’s Hope works year-round to collect gently used life jackets of any size that can be placed at loaner stations for guests to use during their visits.

With 4th of July right around the corner, this is the perfect time to make sure your family’s life jackets still fit! If anyone has an ill-fitted jacket, or you are planning to get a new one, you can donate your gently used AND reusable jackets to O’Neill’s Pools in Lakeway in exchange for $5 off a new kid’s jacket.

Thank you, Amy and Neil!

How do I know if a life jacket fits properly?

Colin’s Hope uses 3 simple steps to make sure a US Coast Guard approved jacket fits well:

• All of the buckles should close, usually with a audible “click”
• It should be snug and tight (like a hug)
• A jacket should stay on your chest when arms are lifted OR when someone tugs on the shoulders

Hamilton Pool needs ADULT life jackets!

Now that Hamilton Pool is open for the summer, guests are utilizing the brand new life jacket loaner station! This is GREAT news, but we can really use your help to get more adult life jackets out there. Thinking of buying a new life jacket? Drop off your gently used adult-sized life jacket at O’Neill’s Pools as soon as you can, and we will make sure to get it out to our partners at Hamilton Pool!

Thank  you, and have a BEST DAY EVER!