Every week thousands and Turtle Tots come to our award-winning baby and pre-school swimming lessons, where they play, have fun and most importantly learn about water safety. From the very beginning all our young learners are taught key safety and safe hold skills in the water, with additional elements added as they progress through the programme; culminating in them being able to instinctively know what to do if they were ever to accidently fall into the water.

Hannah from Northampton knows all too well about the benefits of baby swimming and how learning water safety skills from a young age can help to save a child’s life and buy valuable seconds in an emergency situation.

Hannah started baby swimming lessons at Turtle Tots when Guy, her baby boy, was just 15 weeks old.  Hannah herself was not a confident person in the water, so she wanted to make sure Guy never had the same fears, and for him to grow up being happy and comfortable in and around water.

Through his Turtle Tots lessons at the Beehive and Sol Centre, Guy was taught about safety hold skills and when he left the programme at 2.5 years old, he was able to confidently jump off the side of the pool, turn around and come to the surface, swim to the side, hold on to the rail and safely climb out. All skills that might just have saved his little life.

Just shy of his third birthday, Guy was at his grandparents who have a hot tub and before mummy realised, fearless Guy jumped in.”Hannah said: “The hot tub was very high and as I’m only short I couldn’t reach him, but within seconds Guy had managed to reach and pull himself to the edge. Luckily he climbed out smiling and was completely unaware of the danger of the situation.”

“Thanks to Turtle Tots, Guy knew what to do that day without even thinking,” confirmed Hannah. “I’m so grateful to his teacher, Sally, who not only supported Guy’s lack of fear in the water and taught him all these lifesaving skills, but who also helped me with my own water confidence.  I would highly recommend all parents take their little ones to Turtle Tots baby swimming lessons; as parents we have learnt so much about water safety and how to teach Guy to be safer around water.”

This week is Drowning Prevention Week and Turtle Tots, with permission from Hannah, is sharing Guy’s real-life story to promote the importance of baby swimming and the teaching of water safety skills from a young age.