This year, participants of the
Vidalia Boys and Girls Club were
given the opportunity to take
swim classes. By maintaining
high standards of certification,
Maggie ensures local children
are given quality lessons that
could one day save their lives.
106 TOOMBS COUNTY MAGAZINE
breathing, extreme tiredness and irritability. (Many medical groups discourage the use of
the terms dry drowning and secondary drowning and insist both types simply fall under
the definition of “drowning” as a process.)
Whatever you choose to call these happenings, the important thing is that we
understand that submerging a baby or small child without the correct conditioning could
not only cause a child to become fearful of swimming, but also cause them great harm.
With quick medical attention, some have survived drowning. But with nonfatal drowning
injuries, there is a risk of suffering severe brain damage and/or other long-term disabilities.
“At this time, we are the only SAI trained
facility in the area,” said Maggie. “Whether
you are paying for your infant to learn breath
control, floating techniques, and other lifesaving
maneuvers, or for an older child to learn to swim,
it’s important to make sure that the swimming
instructor you are paying is certified and up to
date on their certification.”
Even though adults may be able to endure
cooler pool temperatures, a drop in body
temperature for an infant can be life threatening.
“We check the heel of the youngest infant every
ten minutes by pressing down quickly and
releasing to see how long it takes for the color to
return. If it takes longer than five seconds, we
are done with the lesson. Either the temperature
is too cool, or they are exerting too much energy
and need a break,” said Maggie.
According to regulation guidelines, the
temperature of the pool at Meadow’s Wellness
Center must be kept between 82 and 88 degrees.
“I try to keep it around 86, which is good for both
Partnering with
Vidalia Boys and
Girls Club