Couple stresses the importance of learning to swim, and never leaving children unattended — even briefly — at pools

By EDDIE RIVERA

Published on Friday, July 3, 2020 | 4:28 am

Few parents know the dangers of children left unattended in water, as do Doug Forbes and his wife, Elena Matyas.

The Pasadena couple’s daughter, six-year-old Roxie Forbes, a non-swimmer, drowned at the Altadena-based Summerkids Camp last June 28.

She was briefly resuscitated but removed from life support the following day.

Forbes and Matyas both spoke Wednesday at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center during a “Safe This Summer” press conference on summer water safety.

Citing World Health Organization statistics, Forbes said that when it comes to children aged one-through-four, drowning is the number one cause of death outside of birth defects. In the one-through-14 age category, drowning is the second most common cause of unintentional death, after car accidents.

Forbes emphasized that children can drown even in small bodies of water, like bathtubs and toilets, and stressed the importance of parents constantly having their eyes on their children around water.

“Phones down,” he said.

Forbes and Matyas have since formed the Meow Meow Foundation, a non-profit organization created “to develop water safety and camp safety programs that protect young lives, and eliminate preventable childhood drowning deaths and catastrophic injuries at camps,” according to their website.

Also in response to the drowning, State Senator Anthony Portantino has introduced SB 955, the Roxie Rules Act, which seeks to regulate recreational camps. If passed, the bill would correct omissions in state law and bring camps in line with other regulated services such as daycare facilities.

California trails well behind many other states in regulating recreational camps. Thirty-eight states have some sort of statewide camp regulations while California does not.

As former Olympian and RBAC board member John Naber told the media Wednesday, “Every time the summer begins, kids want to get in the water, but we’d like to focus our attention right now on keeping them safe this summer.”

Erica Frausto, executive director of the San Gabriel and Pomona chapter of the American Red Cross, also emphasized the safer side of summer, saying, “The American Red Cross believes that together we can work to improve water competency. And what is that? That is swimming skills, water safety and helping others. I encourage everyone to empower themselves, especially as temperatures get warmer.”

Frausto added, “We want to be in the water to stay cool, but let’s get empowered to be safe in the water to keep our children and our weaker swimmers safe.”

Cristina Alvarado, RBAC director of swim lessons, stressed the importance of children learning to swim.

“Swimming is a life-saving skill,” she said. “Once somebody learns how to swim, it has the potential to save their life. So if you have the option to learn how to do something that has an impact that could one day mean life or death, it makes it pretty important.”

Alvarado also emphasized there may be other ways for children to cool off, during the hot summer months, like hoses and Slip n’ Slides.

But she still drove home the importance of learning to swim.

“Once somebody knows how to swim,” she continued. “It’s something that they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives.”

Swimming lessons will be offered this summer by the City of Pasadena from Monday, July 6 through Friday, August 7 in weekly sessions for ages five to twelve.

Each session runs Monday through Thursday, and lessons are available from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m. Fees are $50 per week for residents, and $65 per week for non-residents. Lessons at Robinson Park and Villa-Parke will have a limit of 3 three children per group, and Pasadena High School will have a maximum of five children per group.

Private lessons will be offered on Saturdays at Pasadena High School every half hour from 9:00 a.m. through 10:30 a.m., and are $50 per session for residents, and $65 per session for non-residents. Adult shallow water aerobics will be offered at Robinson Park Recreation Center on Mondays and Wednesdays, and at Villa-Parke Community Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. for ages 18 and over.

Fees are $8 per week for adults, and $4 per week for older adults age 50 and over.

COVID-19 protocols based on guidance from the Pasadena Public Health Department will be in place, and will include screening for symptoms, limited group lesson sizes, and social distancing. Parent/Guardians are encouraged to be in the pool for introductory level lessons to assist participants that are usually held by the instructor. Lockers will not be available, and patrons will be required to come fully dressed in the appropriate swim attire.