WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Teaching babies to swim

Gilbert, Arizona - August 25, 2011

He's only 2 and a half, but Max Bear can already swim the length of his backyard pool, even weighted down by clothes. But his parents will never forget last year's close call. Max was just 16 months old when their Great Dane, Scooby, accidentally knocked Max into the water.

"And Max went schwoop right into the Jacuzzi and I guess we kind of froze for a second," dad Brandon said.

They knew he couldn't swim, but in that instant, Max began to save himself.

"He somehow remembered to roll over onto his back," mom Shasta said. "So he was able to float and be safe in the water and that's when we came over to grab him."

It was a lifesaving move he'd remembered after just a few swim classes in Arizona's "Water Smart Babies" program.

Long before they can walk, infants are put in the pool. That they adapt so quickly is a credit to Lana Whitehead. She believes even the tiniest babies can learn water safety and she's taught 50,000 to swim over the last 40 years.

"We want them to relax and enjoy the water so they can float. We teach them submersion, then we teach them to swim to the steps where they can push down and lift their head to get a breath," Whitehead said.

This summer local pediatricians are joining forces with Water Smart Babies. Dr. Judith Pendleton believes 9-month-old Ronin Grove is ready to take the plunge. She's using a prescription pad of sorts to urge early swim instruction.

"Tell them you have a prescription from your doctor for water safety classes and some will give discounted rates for your baby," she told Ronin's parents.

"The really wonderful thing about it is you can actually put something in someone's hand that directs them towards the resource rather than just mentioning it with every other thing you talk about at a checkup," Pendleton said.

For kids under the age of 4, swim classes can reduce the risk of drowning by 88 percent. But experts caution that swim lessons alone are not enough. Close supervision, a fence and a self-latching gate are all essential for safety.

The Bears aren't taking any chances. They've already enrolled Max's 6-month-old sister in Water Smart Babies. They hope little Avery will soon be a strong, confident swimmer just like Max.

The Water Smart Babies program has already helped turn the tide in Florida. And its organizers hope to take it nationwide. It's currently in Arizona, Florida and New York. It moves to California next.

Click here for more on Water Smart Babies.

CBS News