SPECIAL TO THE FLASH
Bluff Dale ISD is taking a few hours out of the classroom to teach lifesaving skills to all students in Pre-K through first grade. In rural areas, swim lessons are often very expensive and time consuming for parents. Last year the area saw many dangerous water incidents, some of which were fatal. The small community of Bluff Dale experienced a near drowning last summer.
Many people have a preconceived notion drowning incidents occur because the parent or guardian is not paying attention to the child. The drowning process can begin in under 20 seconds and be utterly silent. On June 2, 2015, Aiden Wood nearly drowned in the presence of his mother.
Upon arriving at the pool, they had discovered broken glass all across the pool deck. His mother had instructed him to wait for her. He did not. And in less than a minute, Aiden, like a lot of four-year-old boys, followed his siblings into the deep end. Although he was not a strong swimmer, Aiden could swim; within seconds Aiden panicked and he began to drown.
The emergency room doctors speculated Aiden was only in the water 30 seconds to a minute. His mother pulled him out and started CPR as another parent dialed 911. Aiden was barely breathing when the helicopter landed in the middle of Highway 377 to take him to Cook Children’s Hospital. Aiden’s father, who was in a business meeting in Midland, left immediately for Cook Children’s Hospital, not knowing whether he would see his son alive again or not. He would, as Aiden made a full recovery.
The Bluff Dale ISD superintendent, Bill Morgan, was aware of what had happened to Aiden. His rural school is surrounded by rivers, creeks, pools, and lakes. He also watched the statistics of young children last summer who drowned or experienced a near drowning, similar to young Aiden Wood. He wanted to take a proactive approach to prevent another tragedy in his small town.
Aiden’s mother, Andrea Wood, began to work with Mr. Morgan and others to find a solution to teach kids to swim at an early age. Thanks to a generous sponsorship from a Bluff Dale non-profit and the Hood County YMCA, a program was developed. The entire Pre-K through first grade classes of Bluff Dale Elementary will go to the Hood County YMCA for two full weeks of swim lessons the first two weeks in May. This will occur during school hours and at no cost to the parents or the ISD.
The students will also enjoy a visit from the team, including Stephen Nelson and Brandl Stephenson, at Air Evac 69 in Granbury. This is the same flight team that delivered Aiden to Cook Children’s Hospital, and played an integral role in Aiden making a complete recovery.
Hood County YMCA swim instructor, Pat Stewart, is glad to be a part of the program and hopes more schools see the need to teach lessons. Pat believes that swimming is a life skill, just like reading, and it should be taught in more schools.
Mr. Morgan hopes that sending the students of Bluff Dale ISD will start this conversation, and bring much needed awareness to this life-threatening issue. If communities band together to help address this need, we can make a change. If we can prevent even one parent from making that terrifying flight or ride to the hospital, then we have succeeded.
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