I’m a swimming instructor – don’t put your kids at risk with deadly pool mistake
PARENTS should never wrap their kids up tightly in a towel after a dip in the pool, a swimming instructor has warned.
The “mistake”, made by millions, could allegedly prove fatal.
Nikki Scarnati issued the potentially life-saving advice in a video on TikTok.
She said: “When you get your child out of the pool, naturally, we want to cover them completely.
“But if they were to fall into the pool this way, all of their limbs are going to be restricted underneath a wet towel.”
To reduce the risk of drowning, Nikki instead recommends mums and dads tuck the towel under their child’s arms as it allows for more movement.
“After you get them out of the pool, you should first dry their arms off and put the towel underneath their arms,” the parent from Florida, US, said.
“This way, if they end up in the water, they can still have access to their limbs to self-rescue, and they’re that much safer.”
Nikki, a self-described water safety advocate, also warned against using oversized towels for children as they are a hazard that can cause youngsters to trip and fall.
Users praised the swimming teacher for the information.
One person said: “I can confirm this is true. When I was two, I fell into the deep end of a rec pool with my towel on around my arms and I had to be rescued.”
Another commented: “If they trip, they can catch themselves before hitting the ground.”
While a third wrote: “My kid managed to trip and split their chin open on the pool deck with wrap number one.
“Wrap number two is definitely safer for many reasons – and yes, I was walking right next to him when he tripped on the towel and fell.”
Nikki previously went viral after begging parents not to buy their kids blue swimming costumes.
She said the colour made it almost impossible to see youngsters playing in the water.