I would imagine that your young children enjoy using puddle jumpers when you take them swimming in the neighborhood pool. They probably laugh, yell, splash and just have a grand time using these common infant flotation devices. I know our children did 20 years ago. They thought these things were the best. Now, I realize how foolish we were. Puddle jumpers are very dangerous and I hope this short article persuades you to the same line of thought.
You have probably heard or seen that puddle jumpers are Coast Guard approved. Well, they are, but only for water crafts. They are NOT U.S. Coast Guard approved for swimming. There is a big difference in these two things.
Here is an example of just how dangerous puddle jumpers can be.
Bode and Morgan Miller Learn A Lesson In the Worst Way
In 2018, Olympic skier Bode Miller and his wife had a 19-month old daughter named Emmy. They frequently allowed their daughter to play in their home swimming pool using puddle jumpers. The daughter was encouraged to jump into the pool using these flotation devices. She enjoyed it and had fun. Suddenly, one day she went missing for only a few short minutes. They found her in the pool. She had drowned.
Watch this short video clip where Bode explains what happens:
Puddle jumpers naturally place your child in a vertical posture – feet down and head up. This is actually the worst possible position for your child to be in. It is also called the drowning position. A child that is three years or younger cannot tread water effectively. Here, watch this video to get an idea about what I’m talking about:
Puddle jumpers also teach your child to rely upon the buoyancy of the flotation device… not their own buoyancy. This gives them a dangerous false sense of security. This becomes even more dangerous over time.
Another Heart-Breaking Story
In 2016, the eighteen-month old son of Jenny Bennet also drowned in his home pool in Houston, Texas. Jackson had also been taught to play, swim, and have fun using puddle jumpers. Unfortunately, he also one day jumped into the pool when he was alone. Jenny recalls the incident and now says, “If only I had spent less time encouraging my son to love the water, and more time teaching him to respect it, he would still be here today.”
It is most important that your children respect the water before they have fun in the water… remember to teach your children “Skills before Thrills”… this is vitally important!
Life Saver Survival Swim School Will Teach Your Child Skills
Enroll your child into Life Saver Survival Swim School to begin teaching your child the necessary skills for them to survive if they are ever exposed to a pool of water. Let’s teach them to float and swim before they put on their first set of infant flotation devices. We are not against our children to use puddle jumpers, but let’s first give them the skills to survive in water first.
You can sign your child up for one of our survival classes by using my website, or you can call me, Bonnie, and I can answer any questions… dial (832) 366-3008. Another way to contact me is to use my email.