By: Christopher Quinn, Public Affairs/Communications Volunteer

Askia Bashir one-upped his family members in his multigenerational line of water safety experts last November when he saved a life by walking away from a swimming pool rather than diving into it.

Bashir, the aquatics facility supervisor, and Kamau Hogan, the aquatics facility assistant senior, were on duty at C.T. Martin Natatorium and Recreation Center in Atlanta when someone burst into the pool area yelling for help.

Hogan, on duty on the pool deck as a lifeguard, said, “They were basically shouting, ‘We need you upstairs! We need you upstairs!’”

Hogan could not leave his post, being the lifeguard on duty, but he made sure Bashir responded to the call.

Bashir quickly ran upstairs to see what caused the alarm. “As I walked into the auditorium, they showed me who the lady was. She was slumped over in her wheelchair,” he said.

The 93-year-old woman had been enjoying a bingo game until she choked on an unknown substance and passed out.

The crowd began shouting conflicting advice to Bashir, but with close to 30 years of experience and training in water safety kept his cool. “In these situations, everybody has an opinion,” he said.

“I just looked at her, checked her pulse and could get just a very small pulse out of her. I could see her chest trying to rise,” he said. She was trying to breathe. After his quick initial assessment, he leaned her head slowly back, despite someone telling him he should not lean it back too far.

“And then she threw up,” Bashir said. “I cleaned her mouth out and she threw up a couple of more times.” She had silently choked, and no one knew it. “I just stabilized her and made sure airway was open.”

She slowly regained consciousness, “And I said, there you go. You are still here with us,” Bashir said.

For their quick actions, Bashir and Hogan received the American Red Cross National Lifesaving Awards in front of the Atlanta City Council while it was declaring Water Safety Month on May 6.

Bashir’s brother, Elisha “Reno” Bashir, an instructor and swim team coach in a nearby city, received the same award last year for a life he saved. Askia said all seven of his siblings followed the example of their father, also named Askia, who was the former director of aquatics for the city recreation department. All of his children are or have been lifeguards.

Bashir has lost count of the number of people that he has rendered aid to over his career, but they include a close friend swimming in a lake and a woman who passed out, dehydrated, in a recreation spin class. He thinks the total is more than 15 people.

The Atlanta Water Safety Coalition, established in 2023, works to change the trajectory of childhood drownings. The Red Cross and other partners including the City of Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation aim to raise awareness and promote water safety practices to prevent drowning incidents.

Drowning is a leading cause of death for children in the United States. However, children from Black and Latino communities are at greater risk overall and drown at disproportionately higher rates. African American children ages 5 to 19 drown in swimming pools at rates 5.5 times higher than those of Caucasian children in the same age range.

The fathers of both Hogan and Bashir were strong swimmers and taught their sons to swim in their first decade of life. The two men are part of the Atlanta Water Safety Coalition’s efforts to turn those numbers around.

“We see hundreds of kids over the years coming through the program,” Hogan said. “We are certified to teach through the American Red Cross. They come in and we start them off and teach water safety. And they come twice a week for swim lessons.”

Bashir teaches through the program and among friends and acquaintances. “I have a son 12 and a son 4. When I teach them, I teach kids in the neighborhood who are around their age. I invite the parents to come along, and sometimes I teach the parents.”

His daughter Ariah, 23, has followed in the family tradition, teaching in Alabama.

Saving lives in the water has been a focus of the American Red Cross for more than 100 years, and it now trains more than 5 million people a year in lifesaving skills including first aid, CPR and water safety.

It is part of the vision of the American Red Cross to ensure communities are ready and prepared for disasters – both on an epic scale such as a hurricane or as a single family who has lost a home to fire. A large part of its programming is ensuring that there are always trained individuals available to use their Red Cross skills to save lives in any emergency.

The Lifeguarding program prepares lifeguards to prevent, protect and respond to aquatic emergencies. The nationally accepted curriculum has been refreshed with modernized tools and includes more active hands-on learning. This program aligns with the most current scientific insights and best practices, validated by the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council.

Drowning is responsible for more deaths among children ages one to four than any other cause except birth defects.

Among those 1-14 years old, drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death behind motor vehicle crashes.

For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency care for nonfatal submersion injuries.

The most dangerous locations vary by age. Children younger than 1 year old are more likely to drown at home. For children younger than 5, 87% of drowning fatalities happen in home pools or hot tubs.

Those 5 to 17 years old are more likely to drown in natural water, such as a pond or lake.

64% of African American, 45% of Hispanic/Latino, and 40% of Caucasian children have few to no swimming skills.

Those whose parents have no or low skills are more likely to be affected.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, more than 4,000 people drown every year in the United States. That is an average of 11 drowning deaths per day.

For every child under age 18 who dies from drowning, another 7 receive emergency department care for nonfatal drowning.

Nearly 40% of nonfatal drownings treated in emergency departments require hospitalization or transfer for further care (compared with 10% for all unintentional injuries).

Drowning injuries can cause brain damage and other serious outcomes, including long-term disability.

If you are interested in gaining lifesaving skills from the Red Cross in Georgia, you can find information here.

YOU CAN HELP make a difference in the lives of people affected by emergencies. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733- 2767), or you can make a donation of money, blood or time. Donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to, and help people recover from these disasters. This includes providing food, shelter, relief supplies, emotional support, recovery planning, and other assistance. Ensure your donation helps people affected by choosing to donate at redcross.org/donate or through 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767).