Picture from: Lake City’s Website
The Lake City Aquatic Center is taking significant steps to enhance the safety of every attendee this season. City Administrator Jacob Matthews says the new pool manager, Nichole Bixenstine, has introduced the crucial measure. Children will now be required to demonstrate their swimming skills at the start of the season, a move aimed at ensuring their safety in the water.
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Children aged nine and under will be asked to undergo a swimming skills test. The wristbands they receive will serve as a physical indicator for lifeguards, showing where the child would be safest and what level of supervision is necessary from a parent or guardian.
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Children 5 and younger will not be tested on their swimming skills, but Matthews says they are still encouraged to wear the red wristband to help the lifeguards identify if proper supervision is being enforced.
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Even with a green wristband, children aged nine and younger must still have an adult aged 16 or older accompany them to the pool. Matthews says the new rules do not discourage fun but ensure every visitor is safe. The pool’s opening day is on Monday, May 27, with hours Monday through Friday, 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Family swim will be Monday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., and adult swim will be Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. to those 18 years and older. The Lake City Aquatic Center staff looks forward to seeing everyone on opening day and throughout the summer.