Pool staff help swimmers beat the heat with scorching temperatures

HOMEWOOD, Ala. —

Summer is officially here, and the hot temperatures are here to stay. Some people will head to pools, lakes or water parks to help beat the heat this holiday weekend, but it takes more than jumping in the water.

WVTM 13 visited the Shades Valley YMCA in Homewood. The aquatics director said they haven’t had any heat-related emergencies so far, and that’s because they have precautions in place so swimmers are safe when diving in.

“It’s just fun,” swimmer Eddy Preston said, “how you get to refresh. It’s like you’re in a really big bathtub and it’s good for going on hot days.”

But staff at the Shades Valley YMCA are making sure kids are beating the heat safely, especially with a stretch of days near 100 degrees.

“If we just said, ‘Oh, we’re just going to get water,’ swimmers may not realize that 15 minutes have passed by,” Trey Sullivan, Shades Valley YMCA aquatics director, said. “They’re kids. They’re having a great time. They’re going down the slides. They don’t know how fast 15 minutes goes, and they really do need to be drinking water constantly.”

That’s why the swimmers are required to take a 15-minute break every hour to rehydrate, use the restroom and go inside for some cool air. Preston said his mom stays on him.

“She says we don’t drink enough and that we need to stay hydrated,” he said.

Other parents are also making sure their kids splash around safely.

“I’m not worried about having a heat emergency,” parent Kate Abraham said. “I think if I’m taking the right precautions and keeping an eye on my kids, I think — I don’t want them to have a heat stroke, but I also really want them to enjoy the outdoors and be active and play.”

She said sometimes that takes some creativity by making drinking water fun for her kids.

“Packing cold water, fun water bottles,” Abraham said. “Just keeping it with us so it’s always easily accessible.”

But Sullivan said parents should also keep their own safety in mind to prevent illness.

“If you’re sitting up on the chair tanning or watching your kids outside of the pool, it can sneak up on you while you’re engaged with those children,” Sullivan said. “One of the big things that we stress from a lot of our parents is at least get your feet in and splash around in the water with your kids.”

Sullivan also suggests wearing loose clothing to keep your body cool. He said finding shade under an umbrella or tree can help avoid heat-related emergencies if an air-conditioned building isn’t available to help you cool down.