Local business owner starts toddler swim safety course

Swimming is a fun and popular activity for children, especially during the summer. But it can also present many dangers, like drowning.

Around this time last year, a two-year-old boy in Yuma was found unresponsive from a swimming pool incident and later passed away.

In honor of his best friend who lost his son to this incident, Chris Wheeler decided to create a toddler swim safety course with the city.

The money will be raised through proceeds from his restaurant, Prison Hill Brewery. He hopes to lower the amount of toddler-related swim deaths through these courses.

According to Yuma Fire Department’s Mike Erfert , a classroom size full of children die every year due to drowning incidents across Arizona.

Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death of children. While many would think that this is due to bad or neglectful parenting, that’s not always the case. Nearly 1,000 children died from drowning in the United States in 2017.

All proceeds from Prison Hill’s ” Hazy Krizayzy ” drink will go toward funding the toddler swim safety course. A limited amount of classes will be available by the end of the year, with a full rollout expected in March 2020.

At this time, sign-ups are not yet available for the course but you can refer any questions to Yuma Parks and Rec or Chris Wheeler at chris @prisonhillbrewing.com.