In 2007, Zachary Cohn was 6 years old when he drowned in his backyard pool. Zachary knew how to swim, but his arm was sucked under by the drain entrapment.
In honor of Zachary, the Cohn family founded the ZAC Foundation in 2008 to teach parents and their children about basic water safety skills and drowning prevention.
According to the organization, they have provided water safety programming to more than 20,000 children ages 5-9 in at-risk communities nationwide.
“We were looking to put curriculum in schools and we hit a roadblock, so we looked into our local community center - The Boys & Girls Club. Minorities drown at three times the rate than non-minorities and the Boys and Girls Club serves them,” said Karen Cohn, co-founder of the ZAC Foundation.
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Prior to the pandemic, the foundation hosted ZAC Camps in 20 different cities. The free 4-day-long camps teach children valuable information to keep them safe in the water.
From August 1-4, camp was held in Connecticut for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 100 children were able to learn about water safety and develop their skills.
“I think every child should learn swimming safety. It’s the only way that they can protect them and others around them,” said Jennifer Izquierdo, who enrolled her 9-year-old daughter in the Camp. “Growing up, my mother forced us to take swimming lessons at the YMCA and I’m grateful for that. I have friends that don’t know how to swim and when we’re next to bodies of water, I can tell they feel left out.”
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In the time spent at camp, there are three teaching points. Children participate in classroom activities, in-water swimming instruction, and first responder interaction to familiarize them with uniformed figures.
“We’re hoping to expand to more cities now,” said Cohn. “Children should be taught as soon as they can.”
All children ages 5-9 are eligible for ZAC Camp.
Water safety tips for children of different ages can be found here. For more information, visit the ZAC Foundation website.
