Red Cross trying to teach more people to swim

American Red Cross said 10 people die every day in America from drowning.

This makes drowning the second most common unintentional death in the U.S.

The American Red Cross gave statistics that said one in three black American’s can’t swim, nor can half of the white population surveyed.

Gale Blomenkamp with the Boone County Fire District said, “People need to remember if they cannot swim and they are going to be around a body of water they need to have plans in place, like a life jacket. If you can’t swim you have no business being in the deep end of a swimming pool.”

Blomenkamp said they go to different schools in Boone County to teach children swimming safety skills.

“People need to have a plan in place if they can’t swim and will be around a body of water,” said Blomenkamp.

The Red Cross said they will travel to 19 states this summer to teach over 50,000 people how to swim.