Splashing for kid safety

The Swim for Life Foundation’s mission is based on one troubling statistic.

According to the American Institute of Preventive Medicine, the leading cause of death for children younger than 5 in the United States is accidental drowning.

In 2003, Johnny Johnson, former president of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, decided he and others would create a foundation that took all the tips for swimming and ocean safety and how to respond to an emergency, and wrap them up into one concise motto: Safer 3.

Safer 3 stands for Safer Water, Safer Kids and Safer Response. On Sunday, hundreds will jump, dive and paddle through the waters off Corona del Mar’s shore to raise money for the awareness campaign. More than 200 are expected to attend, Johnson said, and among them there might be some familiar faces.

Local Olympians like Janet Evans (’88, ’92 and ’96 Olympics), Bruce Furniss (’76 Olympics) and Erich Fischer (’92 Olympics) are expected to splash with the rest of the crowd for more than a mile down the coast.

Don’t let the crowd intimidate you, though. Furniss said it’s not really an Olympian effort to make the swim, and it’s all in the name of physical fitness and drowning-prevention awareness.

“It’s beautiful,” Furniss said. “People of all shapes and sizes coming out to swim. This year it’s going to be more pronounced than any year before.”

Indeed, Johnson said in the first Swim for Life’s ocean swim six years ago fewer than 30 people showed up. By last year there were about 100. They’re looking to double that this year.

“Anything that encourages fitness, at a recreational level or competitive level is good,” Furniss said. “This has got a double-whammy that it’s serving a cause to create awareness for how important it is to be fit.”

Safer 3 stresses three important factors for keeping the nation’s youngest from accidental deaths. Safer water: protecting kids from unauthorized entry into the pool or spa, especially by kids with little to no swimming skills. Installing barrier fencing or latched gates or locks can also work. Safer kids: having constant adult supervision when children are in or near the water, and teaching kids proper swimming skills and behavior in the ocean and pools. Safer response: being prepared in a drowning incident, such as knowing rescue techniques like CPR and rescue breathing and having a rescue plan with proper equipment if needed.

“Even someone like a Bruce Furniss or (Olympian) Jason Lezak can still drown in the water,” Johnson said. “We can swim for safety, for health, for fun. It’s a celebration of the activity.”

The Swim for Life ocean swim will be 10 a.m. at Corona del Mar’s main beach off Ocean Boulevard and Iris Avenue. For more information, call Cindy Johnson at (714) 227-6000.

WHO: Former Olympians, local police and fire officials and the public.

WHEN: 10 a.m. Sunday

WHERE: Main Beach, Corona del Mar at Ocean Boulevard and Iris Avenue

HOW MUCH: The event is free, but donations are appreciated. The event annually raises more than $20,000

INFORMATION: Call Cindy Johnson at (714) 227-6000.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at [email protected].