Rockaway leaders push for ocean safety education

Rockaway groups are pushing for the governor to sign a bill focused on establishing best practices for youth water safety programs into law. Photo courtesy of Pheffer-Amato’s office

By Rachel Vick

Last week, advocates and elected officials gathered on the Rockaway Beach boardwalk to call on the governor’s office to sign a water safety bill into law after it passed the state legislature.

The bill, sponsored by Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer-Amato, would create a water safety commission to examine how to best prevent childhood drownings.

“No matter where you live or what your background is, you should feel safe going into the water or know when not to go into the water,” Pheffer Amato said. “This bill is for the children who lost their lives, their families, and every other person in New York State who we must protect.”

“This bill can lay the groundwork for protecting a whole generation of children from preventable fatality due to lack of knowledge on water safety, and it gives me hope for a safer future,” she added. “There is too much at stake, and too much to lose.”

The nine member commission would be tasked with evaluating and developing programs to properly educate children on water safety and how to swim.

Their duties will include determining the best age to begin the training programs, creating a public awareness campaign to include adults in the education process and developing public-private partnerships to facilitate programming.

Advocates say that one solution is mandating swim lessons in public schools to eliminate the disparities in the ability of underserved populations. Children in those neighborhoods might not have access “because swim lessons and water safety knowledge have been largely something that only affluent families can afford for their children,” said Kaitlyn Krause, founder of Rising Tide Effect.

“This knowledge should not be a matter of money, especially when we have the resources already available,” Krause said. “All human beings should have the right to access this life-saving skill.”

The bill awaits signature from the governor’s office to become law.