NO MORE preventable deaths in the water: Swim Lessons for Families in Lee County, NC
The Issue
On Saturday, August 8th, 2026, our community in Lee County, North Carolina was struck by tragedy when a 6-year-old boy died during a visit to a swimming pool on vacation. This sweet soul was a classmate of my son in the first grade, and his passing has deeply affected his teacher, friends, and everyone who knew him. Our hearts go out to his family as they navigate this unimaginable tragedy.
Sadly, this is not the first instance of a child from our community dying while using a swimming pool. There is an urgent need for increased water safety education in Lee County.
To ensure an end to these preventable tragedies, we urge Lee County government officials, local leaders, and Lee County Parks & Recreation to form a dedicated task force focused on water safety and drowning prevention. This task force should find new ways to make *Affordable and Reasonably Scheduled* swim lessons available to more children in our county. This does not currently exist in Lee County: the cost of swim lessons remains high for many families, and over summer 2026 the only swim lessons available to my family were between 9 AM and 10:30 AM *on workdays.* Although I have enough money to pay, I found it impossible to access these lessons with my work schedule. And I’m not the only one. Even First Health’s swim lessons are right in the middle of my workday.
Potential solutions could look like:
-Implement community-wide swimming safety campaigns that include affordable swimming lessons for children and water safety classes for parents that are not during normal working hours of 9 am to 5 pm.
- Establish partnerships with local Lee County businesses and non-profits to fund safety initiatives and provide necessary resources.
By coming together as a community, we can enact meaningful changes that ensure the safety of our children. We owe it to the families who have suffered and to future generations to make Lee County a safer place for everyone.
Please sign this petition to urge our local officials in Lee County to prioritize water safety and drowning prevention and protect our children from this preventable tragedy. Together, we can make a difference.
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The Issue
On Saturday, August 8th, 2026, our community in Lee County, North Carolina was struck by tragedy when a 6-year-old boy died during a visit to a swimming pool on vacation. This sweet soul was a classmate of my son in the first grade, and his passing has deeply affected his teacher, friends, and everyone who knew him. Our hearts go out to his family as they navigate this unimaginable tragedy.
Sadly, this is not the first instance of a child from our community dying while using a swimming pool. There is an urgent need for increased water safety education in Lee County.
To ensure an end to these preventable tragedies, we urge Lee County government officials, local leaders, and Lee County Parks & Recreation to form a dedicated task force focused on water safety and drowning prevention. This task force should find new ways to make *Affordable and Reasonably Scheduled* swim lessons available to more children in our county. This does not currently exist in Lee County: the cost of swim lessons remains high for many families, and over summer 2026 the only swim lessons available to my family were between 9 AM and 10:30 AM *on workdays.* Although I have enough money to pay, I found it impossible to access these lessons with my work schedule. And I’m not the only one. Even First Health’s swim lessons are right in the middle of my workday.
Potential solutions could look like:
-Implement community-wide swimming safety campaigns that include affordable swimming lessons for children and water safety classes for parents that are not during normal working hours of 9 am to 5 pm.
- Establish partnerships with local Lee County businesses and non-profits to fund safety initiatives and provide necessary resources.
By coming together as a community, we can enact meaningful changes that ensure the safety of our children. We owe it to the families who have suffered and to future generations to make Lee County a safer place for everyone.
Please sign this petition to urge our local officials in Lee County to prioritize water safety and drowning prevention and protect our children from this preventable tragedy. Together, we can make a difference.
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Petition created on August 15, 2026