Lessons that can save a life, or even two
Chester-East Lincoln students learn water safety at Lincoln College

[October 16, 2014]  LINCOLN - Late in the school day for the last two weeks in September, Chester-East Lincoln third grade students hopped a bus and headed over to Lincoln College. There they spent an hour of pool time. Some of the time was spent learning what options a third grader has to help someone in trouble in the water and some of the time was spent learning to handle themselves in the water.

The program emphasis is on water safety and was begun out of an unfortunate incident that took place more than 25 years ago. On the first day of summer vacation a CEL student drown in a pond outside his home.

This year, Lincoln College's new swim coach Keith Corbeil led the water safety lessons. Corbeil was assisted by a couple of his swim team members, Taylor Dodd and Victor Mahnke.

Even a good, strong swimmer can find themselves in a life-threatening water situation, but take a young person who does not have life experiences to draw from, or the strength of an adult, and put them in an unexpected circumstance, the training in decision making can be a lifesaving measure. A panicked person in the water can lead to two people in trouble.

Students are taught situational awareness and practical measures that they could take that would possibly save a life without endangering their own. They are taught to call for help; look for objects to safely extend to a person struggling in water so as not to put themselves in harms way.

For in water training and development, students were split into three groups by swimming skill. The starting goal was to help every one to not be afraid of the water, to learn how to handle themselves in water, to float, and to improve on their skill level.

Coach Corbeil worked with students that did not have as much experience in the water, while Dodd and Mahnke each worked with the more advanced swimmers at improving their skills.

Coach Corbeil was impressed with the enthusiasm of this group of students. Before meeting them, he had expected that a few that would have a difficulty with fear of water, which is an important factor to get past in teaching water safety.

However, by the end of the first week it was clear things were going well. On entering the front door on Friday, Coach Corbeil greeted the excited group, "Today we walk the plank!" Which was met with an instantaneous and boisterous, "Hooray!" All of the students were comfortable getting into the water, and each student was readily trying to improve in their ability.

The students classroom and physical education teachers, Mrs. Bartley and Mindy Spear, and teacher's aid, Miss Val, were also happy to see how well the class was doing as they watched pool-side. They were ready to assist with the students needs getting in and out of the building, and held much appreciation seeing their students enthusiasm and progression in the water under the better-suited water safety and swimming teachers.

[LDN]