Nicole Friel

Estes Park

May 25, 2012

It was about 7:00 at night, and we had stopped at Lake Estes to play for a few minutes before meeting friends for dinner. The outside temperature was around 50 degrees, so my young son was wearing a long sleeved hooded shirt, down vest, underwear and heavy pants, as well as wool socks and tennis shoes. We were playing near the edge of the lake when Archer lost his balance, fell, and tumbled down a 3 foot embankment into the lake. My heart sank when I heard the splash, as I honestly did not expect him to roll all the way to the water. As I made it to the edge of the embankment and caught the first glimpse of my soggy toddler, he bellowed out “Mama!” There was my two year old, floating motionless on his back like a perfect starfish, just as he had practiced during each of his lessons at Swim•Float•Swim!

I was surprised at how cold the water was when I waded in to retrieve him. Within 5 minutes I had plucked Archer out of the lake, stripped off all his clothes, and wrapped him in my coat when he began asking to go play again. Falling into the lake was such a nonevent for him that, despite his abrupt tumble and swim, he displayed no emotional upset. Amazing! My biggest concern then was simply that we would have to go home for dry clothes before going to dinner.

I love it that Archer is crazy about being in the water and going to swim lessons. And I love it that people who see him swim constantly make remarks about his confidence in the water. But mostly I love that, despite not having practiced swimming in clothes for several months, my son was able to use his survival swim skills while fully clothed in a cold mountain lake. I am beyond grateful for all the expert instruction we have received from you and your staff!

Originally published at: https://infantaquatics.com/baby-swimming-lessons/documented-survival-stories . Used with permission.