SOS Sink or Swim is dedicated to teaching children and adults how to swim and to be safe in the water. 

Through the help of charitable donations to SOS Sink or Swim and partner support, SOS has provided nearly 8,000 free, learn-to-swim sessions since 2014 at St. Michaels, and Easton’s community pools.

HOW IT WORKS

Children between the ages of 18 months and 18 years and adults may sign up through Talbot County Parks & Recreation. Three two-week sessions are held at the Bay Hundred Community Pool in St. Michaels and the George Murphy Community Pool in Easton. Lessons are given by certified instructors under the supervision of Talbot County Parks & Recreation.

Donations to SOS Sink or Swim make the program free for all participants. As little as $50 can sponsor two weeks of free swimming lessons for a child in our community.

BY THE NUMBERS

  • The Chesapeake Bay has more than 3,000 miles of shoreline, 600 miles in Talbot County

  • 20% of all drowning victims are children

  • According to the CDC, drowning is the leading cause of death for children from 1-4 years old, and the second leading cause of death by unintentional injury for children from 5-14 years old

  • Adults 65 years of age and older have the second highest rate of drowning.

  • According to a Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine report, formal swimming lessons reduce the likelihood of childhood drowning by 88%

  • A 2017 USA Swimming Foundation study reports 79% of children in households with incomes less than $50,000 have little-to-no swimming ability

  • Every year in the United States, there is an average of 11 drowning deaths per day

  • For every child younger than 18 who dies from drowning, another seven children end up in emergency rooms needing treatment for nonfatal drowning incidents

  • Over 55% of US adults have never taken a swimming lesson, according to the CDC. 40 million US adults do not know how to swim.