NEW JERSEY, May 20, 2026 — May is National Water Safety Month, a time to remind families that drowning is preventable, yet it remains one of the leading causes of death for young children and people under 30. Drowning rarely looks the way it does in the movies. Most people expect splashing or yelling—but drowning is often silent and can happen in less than a minute, even in just a few inches of water.

Bystanders are often the first line of defense. Research shows drowning victims are most often rescued by people nearby, not trained professionals, simply because they are closest to the incident. More than 60% of bystander rescues happen before help arrives.

“Everyone near water plays a role in keeping people safe,” said Wendy Vara, regional executive, American Red Cross New Jersey Region. “Whether it’s a child, a friend or a stranger, you may be the only person in a position to recognize distress and respond.”

The American Red Cross urges families to stay actively engaged around water. Don’t just swim—watch. Close, constant supervision can make the difference between life and death.

WATER SAFETY TIPS

• Nobody should ever swim alone – adults and teens as well as children. Never leave a young child unattended near water, and do not trust a child’s life to another child.  
• Always designate a “water watcher” who will keep a close eye and constant attention on children and weaker swimmers in, on and around water until the next water watcher takes over. 
• Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone.  
• Reach or throw, don't go! In the event of an emergency, reach or throw an object to the person in trouble and tell them to grab on. Don’t go in! You could be in danger of drowning yourself.

WHALE TALES FOR CHILDREN – NOW AVAILABLE IN SPANISH The Red Cross recently revamped its Longfellow’s WHALE Tales Water Safety for Children program and has now added the program in Spanish, completely translated and localized. The no-cost program helps children, from all backgrounds in kindergarten through 5^th grade, learn vital water safety behaviors without having to be in or near the water.

Educators, swim instructors, parents, caregivers and others can teach critical water safety lessons to children before the swim season kicks off and throughout the summer. WHALE Tales are short, engaging and age-appropriate lessons that cover important water safety topics in different environments such as pools, waterparks, oceans, lakes and rivers. The free downloadable resources include lesson plans, course presentations and engaging materials such as videos and activity sheets and can be accessed at redcross.org/WHALEtales. If you’re a parent or caregiver teaching your own children, visit redcross.org.watersafetyforkids.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS The Red Cross Aquatics Centennial Campaign, launched in 2014 to recognize 100 years of Red Cross leadership in swimming and water safety, is active in more than 100 communities across the country. The program works to reduce drowning rates in locations where numbers are above the national average alongside valued community partners.

To date, the campaign has delivered nearly 159,000 sets of swim lessons and certified 6,560 junior lifeguards, lifeguards and Water Safety Instructors®. We’ve also armed nearly 24,000 parents and caregivers with water safety knowledge and/or CPR skills. Learn more at redcross.org/centennialswim.  

GET STARTED TODAY Go to redcross.org/watersafety for swim program information and a variety of resources. The Red Cross Swim app can help children and adults learn with kid-friendly video and activities on mobile devices. Do your part. Be “water smart.”

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.

About the American Red Cross in New Jersey:
The American Red Cross provides programs and services to a population of more than 9 million in New Jersey. The Red Cross trains and mobilizes more than 5,500 volunteers who support the delivery of services throughout the state. In New Jersey last year, the Red Cross responded to 1,052 local disasters, mostly home fires, assisting 7,019 people in 2,681 displaced families; collected 105,255 blood donations and 4,902 platelet donations from generous donors through blood drives and Red Cross Blood Donation Centers; provided more than 10,000 military family case services with emergency messages, helping families find assistance and/or get counseling and referrals; and trained 117,106 people with life-saving skills in CPR, AED use, first aid and aquatics. For more information, please visit redcross.org/NJ.

# # #