A rule enforced at City of Trenton pools requires guests take a short swimming test before being allowed into the deeper side. “You have to tread water and be able to swim the length of the pool,” a lifeguard at Father Rocco Pool explained. Previously, a lifeguard at Hetzel Pool did not know the particulars of the swimming examination.
A young security guard laughed after hearing my prediction that most guests at Hetzel would be confined to less deep waters. “You’re right,” she said. “Most people who come to the pool can’t swim.
” Sure enough, an hour after Hetzel Pool opened, approximately 80 persons splashed in shallow waters while eight frolicked in the more challenging depths. According to a YMCA report, 64-percent of Black/African-American children cannot swim versus 40-percent of Caucasian children. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) notes that nearly 10 accidental drownings in the U.
S. occur daily. The fatal drowning rate of Black/African-American children is three times higher than white children.
The YMCA report noted formal swim lessons have proven to reduce the risk of drowning by 88 percent among children ages 1-4. By the way, while systemic racism may have historically limited access of municipal pools by Blacks/Hispanics, no such case can be made in the capital city. Trenton Recreation Department features five beautiful, well-maintained pools during the summer with Hetzel Pool (140 North Olden Ave.
), a crown jewel in the water park system. Coop.
