Support Safety Prioritization with PFD's at Shelbyville Family Aquatic Center

Drowning is silent.
On a warm July day in 2019, my family attended the Shelbyville Family Aquatic Center for the first time with our three children. While playing with my own children, my husband and I noticed something wasn’t right. We recognized an emergent situation in front of us.
A mother was reaching down for her child. A small girl was found motionless, blue, and pulseless on the bottom of the shallow end of the pool that busy warm day. My husband and I responded and performed CPR on this child as my own children and on lookers watched anxiously as we begged for any sign of life.
For this two year old lost her footing in the pool, took on water, and drifted to the bottom.
Yes, her mother was right there by her.
You see, it only takes seconds.
Shelbyville Family Aquatic Center does not allow US Coast Guard Approved personal floatation devices in their pool.
Had they been allowed, this child would have had hers on. This could have been prevented.

Safety measures should be standard. Safety measures should be proactive instead of reactive. Safety measures should evolve over time to be current and up to date. Following the American Red Cross guidelines is gold standard practice. The American Red Cross recommends Personal floatation devices for children that can’t swim or are weak swimmers.
By allowing USCG personal floatation devices like many other communities, this will increase standard safety goals for this pool. If parents have a floatation device, let them place it on their child if they’d choose.
This beautiful two year old was successfully revived and has made a full recovery. She and her family are the reason to make this change and allow for PFD to be worn if desired at the pool. Please show your support and sign the petition to encourage Shelbyville Family Aquatic Center to allow the use of US Coast Guard approved personal floatation devices.