Guarding Lives, Building Confidence: Why Water Safety and Lifeguards Matter More Than Ever

As the summer heat rises and more families head to pools and lakes, water safety takes center stage. While swimming offers fun and fitness, it also comes with real risks that should never be ignored. Here’s why lifeguard presence and swim education are crucial every time someone enters the water.

One of the most essential rules for any swimming area—whether a neighborhood pool or a YMCA facility—is having a lifeguard on stand. At the Lake Highlands Family YMCA in Dallas, lifeguard Landon Fike emphasizes the importance of vigilance:
 

“The most important thing swimmers should know about staying as safe as possible in the water is that no matter how deep the water is or how qualified of a swimmer you are, there is always a risk of drowning, so make sure you are staying safe with a lifeguard on stand or nearby.”

Lifeguards are trained to recognize danger before it escalates, and their presence is often the deciding factor between a close call and a tragedy. No matter your skill level, always swim in lifeguard-monitored areas.

 

Fear of water is common among children—but it can be overcome with time, patience, and the right kind of support. “The best advice to give a child to overcome their fear of the water is to have more experience and take a swim instructor's class, a really hands-on one-on-one experience where it really is safe and you're right next to someone. This will really help introduce them into the water” Fike says. Swim instruction programs, like those offered at many YMCA branches, help children gain comfort and skills in a safe, supervised environment. That early exposure—paired with positive reinforcement—lays the foundation for a lifetime of safe swimming.

For lifeguards like Fike, water safety isn’t just about rules and rescues—it’s about helping children experience the water with joy and confidence and for the parents watching from the sidelines, that’s a beautiful sight to see. After all, when safety is a priority, fun can truly flourish.