Rickey Smiley discussed the mother who lost her two children and their friend after they presumably drowned in the Mississippi River. Smiley did not know the details of the tragic accident but said if he had to guess, one fell in or something and the others tried to save him. However, they couldn’t swim either, and all the children drowned.
Smiley said he shared the heartbreaking story because parents need to teach their children how to swim.
“We grew up in the projects, and my mom didn’t have a whole lot, but damn man, she took us up to the swimming lessons,” said Smiley.
Parents must participate in swimming lessons as well, added Smiley. Accidents can happen to anyone at any given moment, and it is best to be prepared, he said.
“You never know what kind of situation you’re going to end up in, where you might have to swim,” said Smiley.
Smiley claimed to have taught over 100 people how to swim. He said swimming is something everyone should learn.
Very young children should know how to swim as well. He said that his 5-year-old grandson learned how to swim and can jump off of a diving board. The You Tuber is also planning on teaching his 3-year-old granddaughter how to swim.
When dealing with a child who does not know how to swim, and is near water or a pool, the best thing to do is put a life jacket on the youngster, said Smiley.
“It doesn’t have to be the big bulky life jacket. They got life jackets that can comfortably fit under their clothes,” said Smiley.
The life jacket is the first step to learning how to swim. It also helps children become familiar with being in the pool.
“A life jacket teaches you how to swim without the nervousness of teaching you how to swim,” said Smiley.
This video is to keep people safe, he said. Some deaths can be avoided, Smiley concluded.