A TikTok video from a swimming instructor is urging parents and guardians not to put their children in blue swimsuits.
Nikki Scarnati, a certified infant swimming instructor, has gone viral with her video, which has received 4.6 million views, demonstrating with her own daughter the safety risk that parents often might overlook. The video shows her daughter wearing a blue one-piece swimsuit while swimming in a pool.
Scarnati uses this as an example to warn parents not to buy blue swimsuits for their kids, as it makes it hard to see them in the water.
Danger of Blue Swimsuits
According to the New York Post, Scarnati's video demonstrates how the blue color of her daughter's swimsuit makes it difficult to spot her body under the water. She explains that the color of the swimsuit blends in with the water, making it challenging to see the child in case of an emergency.
Scarnati purchased the blue swimsuit for her daughter specifically for this video to demonstrate how difficult it is to see a child wearing such a suit in the water.
She noted that the video was shot in calm waters without any other kids playing around, splashing, or having fun, making it even more difficult to see her daughter underwater.
Scarnati urges parents to buy bright-colored swimsuits for their kids so that they stand out in the water and can be seen easily. This will help parents and lifeguards quickly identify children in an emergency.
@springhill.isr Just dont do it! Why think about which bathing suits for the splash pad? Just buy bright ones!! ️️ #selfrescue #selfrescueswimming #selfrescueswim #watersafety #drowningpreventionawareness #springhillisd ♬ original sound - Spring Hill ISR Nikki Scarnati
Importance of Safety in Swimming
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States have stated that drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury death for children between the ages of 5 and 14, after motor vehicle crashes.
The CDC reports that every year in the United States, there are around 4,000 unintentional fatal drownings, averaging 11 drowning deaths per day, and around 8,000 nonfatal drownings, averaging 22 nonfatal drownings per day.
Scarnati's video is a reminder to parents about the importance of water safety, especially during the summer months when kids are likely to be spending more time in the water.
Parents must ensure that their kids know how to swim and that they are always supervised while swimming. Using life jackets or other floatation devices when necessary is also crucial.
A Real-World Example
As reported by the Life Hacker, the 2002 case of Paolo Alexander Ayala serves as a harrowing reminder of how difficult it can be to spot a child in a swimming pool.
Ayala, a 7-year-old boy, was reported missing after attending a pool party in the affluent Los Angeles neighborhood of Holmby Hills.
Despite an extensive manhunt by trained police officers and LAPD detectives, Ayala's body was not found for two days. He had been at the bottom of the backyard pool the entire time, wearing blue and white trunks. In conclusion, parents must be vigilant when it comes to their children's water safety.
Scarnati's video is a stark reminder to parents that blue swimsuits can make it difficult to see children in the water, and they should instead opt for bright-colored swimwear.
By taking the necessary precautions and supervising their children while swimming, parents can help prevent drowning incidents and ensure that their kids can enjoy their time in the water safely.
