Swimming
Swimming lessons provide summer activity, life-saving skills
Kids love splashing around in the water on hot summer days. In the Mission Valley, there are a few options for lessons, and while out recreating, experts offer tips on water safety. Children who can’t swim should always wear a personal floatation device when in and around water. Pools should be securely fenced so children cannot get in without supervision. During lightning and thunderstorms, people should stay out of the water. In Lake County and the Flathead Reservation, many places are available for water activities, including the Flathead Lake and river, and sometimes, the bottoms of those water bodies are not visible. Experts advise people to never jump into unknown waters. A body of water can look deep but, actually, be shallow. Rocks could also be a problem. One critical piece of advice: people shouldn’t attempt to save others who are drowning by swimming to them without expert skills. When people are drowning, panic often sets in, and they reach for anything available, and the person attempting to rescue someone could be pulled under. People are advised to reach out from the shore or find a floatation
device to help the individual. Swimming lessons could save a person’s life. Eileen McMillan, who teaches lessons in the pool at her home, said swimming skills are important in this area. “There’s a lot of water around here,” she said. Between irrigation ditches, Flathead Lake, ponds and backyard pools, local children often come into contact with bodies of water,” she said. “If they fall or jump in and don’t know how to swim, they could drown.” McMillan has been teaching swimming lessons for more than 30 years. She teaches basic swimming and life-saving skills to children age three up to adults. She provides instruction for all skill levels, from complete beginners to advanced swimmers. McMillan, who trained as a physical education teacher, also runs a preschool during the school year. She teaches swimming full-time in the summer in her heated backyard pool. This year she’s implementing additional cleaning measures to ensure that the COVID-19 virus does not spread at her facility. Experts say pools that are properly treated with chemicals do not spread the virus. She’ll also encourage parents to socially distance while waiting for their children to finish lessons.
McMillan said she typically teaches more than 100 students each summer from all over the region. Lessons are held in three two-week sessions. Students attend 30-minute lessons Monday through Friday during their session. Some students enroll in multiple sessions. At the end of each session, parents are invited to watch their children show off their new skills. McMillan said the skills she teaches her students have saved lives numerous times. One three-year-old student fell into an irrigation ditch after his first day of swimming lessons and was able to propel himself to a place where his dad could rescue him. McMillan’s students have gone on to become lifeguards, rescue swimmers, and triathletes. Those interested in registering for lessons should call McMillan at 406-676-8392. Mission Valley Aquatic Center will also offer limited swimming lessons this summer. Two-week sessions start June 22. Children can attend lessons Monday through Thursday. Class sizes will be limited and additional precautions implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19. For more information or to sign up, call 406-8834567 or pool@mvaquatics.org. Story by Mary Auld for the Valley Journal M O N TA N A S U M M E R
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