What ISR Parents are Saying
If your child has previously gone through ISR Self-Rescue™ swim lessons, we invite you to share your story with us so that we may use it to help educate other parents about survival swimming and aquatic safety. Also, please take the time to read through some of the inspiring stories below.
*If you are new to ISR and would like to find out more about lessons, please use the Instructor Locator
on the left to find an instructor in your area.
*Your information will be kept confidential to ISR.
Carson and Connor's Story
In mid February my husband preached the funeral of a two year little boy, He died from drowning in his backyard. We are parents of two little boys ourselves, and were searching for a program to teach our children to swim. We live in a very rural place, and the closest ISR instructor was over 2 1/2 hours away. We came up with a plan B, go to stay with Grandparents to take ISR lessons. We traveled over 14 hours away for our boys to take lessons from Trisha Gabriel in Jacksonville, Fl. It was well worth the drive!!! I'm so thankful for the skills that she taught Connor and Carson. It gives me chills every time I see my little guys floating in the pool. Thank you ISR and Trisha Gabriel, we are so thankful.
Grace's Story
To Whom It May Concern: This past May, my wife and I enrolled our daughter, Grace (who turned 2 on July 5, 20009), in an ISR course in Waterford, Michigan. Waterford is a two hour drive one way for us, and the thought of doing this all summer long Monday through Friday for a ten minute lesson each day seemed absolutely absurd to me. I had a very hard time accepting that putting our daughter in an “at-risk” situation could possibly save her life later. I felt that exposing her to potentially dangerous situations went against what a parent should do. In my mind, if you exposed your son or daughter to water, made sure gates were locked around pools, put life jackets on them, and continually supervised them around water, they would be fine. Basically, I was very skeptical of the whole idea. My wife continually sent me videos from your website and information on your program. It became very apparent to me that I could not keep my wife from enrolling our daughter in your class. The first day was very tough. The drive seemed much longer than I expected and the thought of only staying for a ten minute lesson and then heading home was all I could focus on. When we got into the facility there was a young boy working with the instructor, and he was doing very well. I was very impressed with what he could do and felt very confident that this boy could survive on his own if he was left in the water. The other thing that became very apparent to me was the professionalism of the instructor (Anna Anderson). I have been a teacher in Michigan for over 12 years and have a Masters Degree in Special Education. I do not know everything but I do know how to recognize good instructors over poor ones. Mrs. Anna is an exceptional teacher! She made me a believer in the ISR program. Anna was able to take a skeptic and turn me into one of your greatest supporters. She was incredible to my daughter and treated her as if she was one of her own. Our lessons were not about mo ney or how fast we could get Grace through them. Anna treated it as a tool that would save her life some day. Grace can now swim/float/swim with confidence and possesses the Self-Rescue skills necessary should she ever need them. Over the span of seven weeks I had the opportunity to watch Mrs. Anna work with several children and parents. I noticed that Anna was beginning to form a community amongst the parents, a form of support group if you will. She had the ability to bring the parents together and support one another. As time went on, parents began to show up early and leave later so they could encourage the other students in the classroom. Parents who were afraid of their children going through the class were beginning to gain confidence and enjoying the time Mrs. Anna spent with their children. Friendships were formed amongst parents and kids. You could not have created a better learning environment if you tried. This is what made Mrs. Anna so great. Not to mention that my daughter absolutely adored her and could not wait till her time with Mrs. Anna. I am writing this letter for two reasons. First and foremost, I am writing this because I feel Mrs. Anna should be recognized for her exemplary teaching skills. She was very professional, showed her extensive knowledge of the skills she taught, and always kept her student’s well-being in mind. She went above and beyond in communicating with the parents and made sure each parent had an opportunity to express concerns or ask questions. She built a community atmosphere among her parents that became a form of support group to those who needed it. Secondly, I feel you should adopt some of Mrs. Anna’s approaches and add them to your website. My daughters time in the course made me realize how difficult it is to let another person have your child in an “at-risk” situation in order to teach them a skill that “may” save their life down the road. This is a major obstacle for parents to get over. If you incorporated a support group forum on your website that enabled parents to ask each other questions, as well as other instructors, prior to signing up, I feel you will have more opportunities to “save” more children’s lives. You will have more parents sign their children up once they have first hand accounts from real people. Not just testimonials from a select view. This is what Mrs. Anna has already done for you. You need to recognize it, embrace it, and incorporate it into your program. And yes I did say “save” lives, because I truly feel Mrs. Anna has saved my daughter’s life. How can I ever thank someone enough for saving my daughter’s life before a tragedy occurs? She is a very special person, and one that should definitely be recognized for it!
Sincerely, Todd Zwetzig
Parker's Story
I wanted to pass along a story to thank Ms. Gretchen for all she has done with training my son Parker (2yrs old). Yesterday I experienced the unimaginable. I live on the river in Jacksonville Fl. I was cleaning fish not 10 feet away from Parker when I heard a big splash. Parker fell off the bulkhead. I immediately ran over and jumped in the water after him. He was face up floating just like Ms. Gretchen trained him. The water was very dark (tanic) and the only thing I could see was his face calmly breathing above water. He was wearing jeans, long sleeve shirt and shoes. These classes taught him to naturally and calmly survive in stressful situations ie falling off a bulkhead. Even though I was right there, there’s no telling what could have happened if he didn’t know how to swim/survive. If you live near water…pool…retention pond…..etc…these lessons are a must. I have shared this story and Ms. Gretchen’s contact info with all my friends that have children.
God Bless, Terry
Joseph's Story
My son starting ISR when he was 10 months old after a failed attempt using another company. He is now 2 years old and can swim like a fish, or as he would say a "shark boy". My family has grown a loving relationship with Mrs. Christie, his swim instructor. I don't know that I could ever repay ISR for the friendship that was formed. But most importantly, for the skills, confidence, and respect for the water my son now has. Your company is amazing! Your instructors are outstanding! Thank you so much for all that you do.
Andrew's Story
Our experience with ISR has been a true blessing for our family! Both of our boys have completed the program with Cindy Sasche in Buford and are now great swimmers! We are amazed! Our most recent experience was this summer with our youngest son, Andrew. Andrew is 2 ½ and was diagnosed with Autism last year. We wanted him to learn to swim early as his brother did, but were hesitant due to his disability. He has many sensory issues and is unable to adapt well to change. He has made a lot of progress over the past year due to intense therapy and prayer so our concern was he might possibly regress due to the stress. It was a struggle to decide… we wanted to push him but not too far where he took steps back. We finally decided to give it a try and see how he did. He responded great! We were thrilled. He did the typical first few days of crying in the water but totally excelled and mastered swimming and floating on his back to rest in 5 weeks!! It gave him confidence and he was so proud of himself! He would swim to Ms. Cindy and raise his head out of the water with a big smile and clap for himself and say ”I did it!” A couple of his therapist began to comment to us during this time how they noticed a leap in his progress… we feel it had to do a lot with the swimming! Andrew loves the water and loves to swim now. He wants to repeatedly do laps back and forth in the pool. His favorite phrase this summer, when we were in the pool after he would swim to someone was ”one more time!” We are so thankful for this program and highly recommend it, IT WORKS!!
Sebastian's Story
We want to say thank you to Briana Craycroft for teaching our children Annabella ans Sebastian these lifesaving skills. We sure need them here in Florida! I would suggest to all parents to sign their children up for this amazing program. Thank you Briana!
Ella's Story
Absolutely the best experience ever! My daughter loves to swim now and attracts a crowd at the pool as people watch in amazement as this 17 month old baby swims under water and rests on her back when she needs a break.
Sean's Story
My sister is a Captain in the Fire Department and my Mother has worked in a Trauma Center hospital for over 20 years. I certainly have heard the dangers of children and swimming pools. I always knew I wanted my child to learn water safety, and the earlier the better as far as I was concerned. But I NEVER thought that a child as young as 17 months old, much less 6 months old, could learn to float. Shortly after my son's first birthday, I started looking into ISR, as soon as the weather permitted, I registered him for classes with Angie Knox. I cannot adequately explain the pride I felt on testing day, to see my 17 month old son, doing just as he had been taught. And to my amazement, He was so proud of himself! My son, who was so nervous at the beginning of this process, was so confident in his ability to flip to a float. I am so thankful for this program and our wonderful instructor, Angie!
Mirella's Story
Last year, I heard about ISR from a friend and a short time later I found out about an ISR instructor in my area named Kristy Wexler (Boynton Beach, FL). She invited me to observe a couple of her lessons and I was very impressed. My daughter had her first lesson when she was about 10 months old and I have to admit I was a nervous wreck watching for the first several weeks. We hung in there and kept up with the lessons because I knew how important it was for my daughter Mirella to acquire the ability to float on her back should she ever fall in our pool. Sticking with the program was the best decision we ever made. When we saw the results of what Kristy had taught her, it moved my husband and me to tears. The money was well worth it, the time and effort to go everyday for weeks on end was well worth it, and I would recommend this program to anyone with an infant/toddler who has even the slightest concern about water safety. Today Mirel la is 2 years old and her swim-float-swim skill is amazing. Thank you for establishing this program and for training instructors like Kristy to do what they do.
Sincerely, Stephanie DiGiulio
Anna's Story
My daughter, Anna, started ISR just before her 2nd birthday. We had the most wonderful instructer, and an even better experience. Knowing that our intructor Lisa, and this program, have given my daughter the know how to save her life is amazing. I will always encourage every parent I meet to enroll their child/children in ISR. Thank you doesn't even cover it!
April
Brandt's Story
My husband and I absolutely love the water. It has been a part of our lives since birth and is incorporated into our adult lives on a nearly daily basis. When our son, Brandt, was born, we were excited about his love for the water too, but were concerned with water safety. Joan Arpe worked with Brandt for many weeks and he instantly grasped the skills needed to be safe. After our lessons were complete, he and his cousins were playing near the pool. Suddenly there was a 'splash' in the water and before Rick could get there (3 seconds later)... Brandt had surfaced and was floating!!!!! He cried for all of a few seconds because it scared him and then was right back in the water! We are so thrilled with ISR and Joan's incredible teaching! Thanks for all of your efforts in promoting water safety and truly caring about these little ones. I would recommend ISR to EVERY family out there!!!
Sincerely, The Howard Family
Zachary's Story
I wanted to tell you how Amy Roop and ISR have changed our families lives forever. Zachary, our 4 year old son always loved playing on the steps of our pool. However, he had no intreast in learning to swim or allowing us to hold him in the pool. We thought he had a fear of going under the water. One afternoon we were out by the pool and Zachary fell off the step. Our friends 9 yr old son was next to him when this happened. He was able to help Zachary until we pulled him out of the pool. This showed us just how fast something tragic could happen even when you are right there. I knew that minute that I had to do something to prevent this from happening again. I contacted Amy Pritchett and she got us in touch with Amy Roop. We will forever be grateful to Amy Roop. We thought at first, how could a child or infant learn life-saving skills in 4-6 weeks at 10 minutes a day. Well let me tell you that its true. Not only did Zachary learn to float and swim to the side in the first 2 weeks but he was able to master all the skills needed in 3 weeks. I was so amazed. Amy showed such compassion and patients with him and all the children I saw her with. We are so thankful to her and she will always be in our hearts for what she has taught Zachary. I have shared this with everyone I know and even posted a video of Zachary's last lesson on our home facebook page. I want everyone to know just how this can help to reduce the number of drowings. We know this does not replace adult supervision. However, it will make us feel that if Zachary was to fall in the pool, he would be able to flip, float and swim to the side of the pool or steps. I thank Amy for teaching him these amazing LIFE-SAVING skills. My Zachary has gone from playing on the steps to not letting us get out of the pool so he can swim to us and show off his new floating skills. We are so proud of him. I hope anyone who saw GMA last week and has a cil d, contacts ISR and gets involved with getting their child enrolled. They will not be disapointed....THANK YOU AMY ROOP!!!!!!! You are a master in what you do. Thank you for taking the time to teach this life changing skill to so many children each day. We will forever be grateful!!!!
Carla & Bob Dover
Deacon's Story
Our 2 year old son, Deacon, completed the initial ISR program when he was 18 months. Three weeks after completing a refresher course this spring, with Chuck Teasley, Deacon's survival skills were tested. He was playing on the steps of the pool with our 4 year old daughter, Avery (also ISR trained), as I vacuumed the pool. Avery went into the house for a few minutes, while Deacon stayed on the steps. I turned my head a total of 10-15 seconds to finish my task. At that time, Avery yelled, "Mom, Deacon is floating!" I spun around to look, and there he was calmly floating 8 feet away from the steps. Thank you, Chuck, for equipping Deacon with his life-saving skills!
Sarah
The Tigner's Story
I have 4 children and all of them have taken your course. My oldest took it in Arizona! We moved to Oklahoma when my other children were little and they didnt have any instructors here. We were about to take a trip to Texas for the sole purpose of allowing our three daughters to take the course as well when we finally found out there were some instructors trainning in Oklahoma. The program is so important to us that we signed up right away(in Feb) and I took my kids out of school each day just to go! :) Now, all 4 of my children have gone through the course and love the water! Thank you ISR!
Tamara
Adrianna's Story
Adrianna learned how to survive the dangerous water when she was only 14 months old. My princess owes this to Veronica. This is our second year doing the program and she swims like a fish. I know it works because she has fallen in the pool recently and does what she was taught, float on her back. Thanks Veronica!!!
Patty
Margarets's Story
My 22 month old daughter, Margaret, used her skills tonight in a real world situation. My husband and I were outside on the pool deck with her. She was on the pool coping and got down on her knees and reached for a leaf in the pool. She leaned a little too far and fell in head first. Before we made it over to her, she had surfaced, rolled over to her back, and was floating like a champ. She was fully clothed (dress, normal diaper) and the water was not heated (72 degrees). It did scare her (and us too), but she was totally fine once we got her dried off. It was certainly a bittersweet event. We were so proud of her for using her skills and it certainly reassured us that we did the right thing in having her go through ISR lessons, but ugh....it is also something we never hoped she would ever have to really use! Lucky for us, we were a maximum of about 10 feet from her and saw the entire thing happen. It was amazing to me though how s ilent the whole episode was. There was not a splash at all. The only sound came from her little cry after she was floating. So I can imagine how if we hadn't been paying attention at the time of the fall, and if she wasn't skilled, we might not have known she had even fallen in. We are so thankful for ISR!!!
Tricia
Tucker's Story
My little boy, Tucker, had taken survival swimming from Veronica Kerst last summer. We were on our way to Kansas for vacation when Tucker fell in the pool. I was about 30 to 40 feet from him when I heard the splash and by the time I looked back, he had already gotten to his back and was floating. He knew enough to look around and when he saw the pole towards the steps, he tried to reach for it and then flipped back over to float until I was able to grab him. VERONICA is amazing! What she does with these little children is incredible. I am forever thankful to my friend, Tina, who shared the information about ISR with me. I feel so confident that Tucker would be able to survive in the water if he accidentally fell in until someone was able to get to him, or until he was able to pull himself out.
Thank You,
Dana Fox
Hernandez Story
I think as a parent, no price can be put on the safety of our children. The peace of mind your organization provides us parents is important. To be able to know that your child will be able to help him/her self should they ever fall into a pool is what made me contact an instructor give my daughter one of the best things a parent can give their child, the ability to feel safe.
Thank You,
Ed Hernandez Sr.
Cutter's Story
When our son, Cutter, was 15 mos old, we built our first house with a swimming pool. Of course we ensured every safety measure was in place (self-closing, locking gate, etc...) However, within 1 month of moving into our home, Cutter pushed his plastic teeter-totter to the side of the fence, as I watched, he stood on the teeter-totter & began to try to climb over the pool fence, YIKES!!! At the same time he was also learning how to climb out of his crib... I couldn't sleep that night, I was terrified he would get out of his crib & into the pool before I was ever even awake. The next morning I called every swim instructor in my area... All of the "Big" swim schools told me they would be happy to take my son in for lessons & that he would "eventually" learn how to swim (around 3 or 4 years of age). I knew in my heart he would get to the pool on his own well before then. The following day, I had a call back from Tracie Paulsen (ISR) letting me know that Cutter could definitely learn to swim and suggested he would learn in weeks; not years. I wasn't sure I believed her; but ISR seemed my only option. I enrolled Cutter and sure enough he was swimming across the pool in just 6 weeks. He did refresher lessons with Ms. Tracie the following year, but hasn't had any lessons since. Cutter is now 6 years old. We recently moved to a new area due to my husband's career. We found a temporary home to stay in so we could keep the family together (we will find a more permanent home in a few months); a tiny place which has a pool w/o a fence :( Yesterday after getting home from kindergarten, Cutter went out back to play with our 2 great danes (Emmy & Spot)... Just a few momments later I heard him crying loudly from the yard. I ran out and he was dripping wet and said, "Emmy pushed me in the pool". Needless to say, I was very pleased to see he was OUT of the pool; especially considering the solar cover was on the pool. I am sure if it had not been for ISR & Ms. Tracie's awesome teaching skills, Cutter's fall into the pool would have had a significantly different outcome...
Thank You,
Cutter Kent (& The entire Kent Family)
Morgan's Story
My two (just about three)year old daughter, Morgan and my 21 year old neice, Erika were in the ocean jumping waves. The water was about thigh high on my neice and Morgan was having a blast in Erika's arms. I was standing at the edge of the water watching and taking pictures. All of the sudden a big wave came and hit Erika so hard that it swept Morgan out of her arms. After my niece screamed (and I was running into the ocean), she got to Morgan as she was surfacing in her FLOAT. Erika and I were shaking with fear and Morgan was totally fine and she wanted to go back to jumping the waves. Thank you to Miss Gretchen, our ISR instructor!
Thank You,
Jeniffer Money
Jake's Story
Jake is 21 months old and almost finished with his ISR lessons. I hesitated in signing him up for lessons because of the cost and time commitment. I finally decided that it would be worth the peace of mind knowing that he could save himself if the situation occurred. I am so glad I made the decision to start lessons! I have a safety fence around my pool. I had taken it down to have the pool deck resurfaced and hadn't had the chance to put it back up. I was outside on the pool deck playing with Jake. I walked around the corner to move a chair back into the house when I heard a splash. I had only turned around for a second when Jake reached for a ball that was in the pool and fell in. I came around the corner to find him floating on his back and breathing. I immediately pulled him out and he was a little upset but otherwise perfectly fine. I am confident that the ISR lessons helped save his life. Thank you.
Thank You,
Emily Barlow
Tayton's Story
Dear ISR,
My grandchildren were playing in our back yard while I was doing some outside chores. I briefly stepped around the corner to throw out some trash. As I was coming back around the corner I heard my 5-year-old grand daughter exclaim, "Good job Tate...good floating!" She was standing on the edge of our pool with her brother encouraging her 3-year-old cousin who had accidentally fallen into the pool while I was out of sight for less than 30 seconds. Tayton, who learned his Self-Rescue skills from a patient and gifted instructor, Kristy Silides, was calmly floating and smiling up at his cousins. I am so thankful for the ISR program and Kristy. This could have been at the very least a panic stricken experience or even something much more tragic. I am thankful that it is instead a positive experience I am able to share with you and further evidence of how truly amazing ISR's Self-Rescue technique and aquatic safety program is. Needless to say this grateful grandma is one of Kristy's biggest fans and a steadfast advocate of your program!
Thank You,
Watts Family
Will's Story
Dear ISR,
My son, Will, just completed ISR training with Staci Otto. Staci was wonderful with my son: friendly, professional, assuring, and challenging. I love this program! Watching Will swim fully clothed is an amazement to my friends and family.
Thank You,
Genevieve Lindsay
Marcus' Story
Thank you for teaching our 15-month old son, Marcus, how to swim. We always felt comfortable with your teaching style and your constant reassurance. Your encouragement made it easy for us to trust you and for Marcus to become a proficient and happy swimmer. We think ISR is a valuable resource for all parents who are not just interested in their child's safety, but also for their confidence and enthusiasm for the water. ISR is unique in its step-by-step approach in swimming and laid a great foundation for our son. We can hardly keep Marcus out of the pool now. Everyday he builds on what you have taught him and he is becoming an even stronger swimmer. Thank you again for always making us feel welcome and for teaching Marcus how to be safe and confident around water. We look forward to our refresher course in the spring.
Sincerely,
Nathan and Jackie Campbell
Borre Family Story
My children, ages 9, 6, 6, 3, and 1 couldn't swim. I had always been a swimmer, and figured my children would be as well. When the oldest was a baby, I thought I had to wait until he was three and I thought I would teach him myself. But along came the twin babies, and we didn't go anywhere for a year. When we finally could go out again, I couldn't take them swimming because I couldn't keep track of three non-swimmers. So, we didn't go. Then the situation compounded itself with each new baby until before I knew it, I had a family of non-swimmers, and we certainly couldn't go without dragging along all of the floaties and life jackets, etc. It was just too much, and I was nervous around any body of water. It wasn't a safe situation.
I can't thank you and Barb enough for teaching my children to swim. The little ones didn't like it much in the beginning, but with nerves of steel, Barb continued her patient and encouraging lessons. The bigger ones sometimes got frightened and silly, but Barb continued her patient and encouraging lessons. Finally, one by one, they got to wear their winter clothes and demonstrate their skills. I could hardly believe it! Especially the baby! There he was swimming to the top, and floating like a pro! I began to joke that he looked like a buoy... push him down, and he just bobbed back up! The oldest was terrified of putting his face in the water, and he now has the stroke of a swim-team child! One of the twins was terrified of the water, and is now quite comfortable. The other twin looks like he's been swimming all his life. And the three year old takes the cake. I think he gave Barb more fits than any of them, but my word, what a swimmer! He is all grins, ear to ear! He is so joyful to be in the water! Now, we can go swimming any time we want, and without all the paraphernalia! We just go swimming! What a blessing this is to our whole family. We are all very, very grateful for the help and generosity. The kids say Mrs. Davis is the best swimming instructor in the whole world. I quite agree. Thank you again!
Warm Regards,
Lori Borre
Keily's Story
After 8 classes, with Ginger Blackman, my 20 month old daughter fell fully clothed into a pool as i was watching from a distance. I turned my head for a second and when i looked back all i saw was her shoes in the water. (her sister pulled a cup out of her hand causing her to fall in head first) She did not even make a splash. I ran over to grab her and noticed she was floating on her back like she had learned in her class. She did not take in any water. I was amazed. She was very calm. Thank God that I was watching her but if I was not, it is good to know that these lessons are working.
Thank You,
Maguire Family
Roman's Story
Our ISR experience has been a complete inspiration. I still get chills when Roman practices his float. It has reminded me that you can learn almost anything if you are taught properly. The ISR lessons have given Roman the tools he needs if he ever encounters a water emergency, which we hope will never happen. I feel like a better parent for having had the opportunity to equip Roman with the drowning prevention skills he has acquired through ISR. Angelee our instructor was great at making us comfortable by explaining exactly what she was doing and the philosophy behind her actions. She always answered questions with the knowledge only a professional would have. She is an absolute angel in our book. Thank you ISR and Angelee for sharing your talents and gifts with our family.
The Sanders Family
Michael's Story
Dear ISR,
We wanted to send you a letter about our son, Michael, saving himself in our pool on Sunday, June 1, 2008. We had just begun our summer swimming a few days earlier practicing the ISR technique each day. After taking ISR lessons with Barb Davis for the first time this winter, Michael, a high-energy 3-year-old, definitely needed some daily refresher practice when we opened the pool in May. I totally appreciate the emphasis Barb Davis engrained in us regarding the importance that we practice the technique with him every time we enter the pool.
We had several neighborhood children over swimming that Sunday. Michael had already practiced his ISR and was finished swimming and playing in the shallow end of our pool where he can stand up. He was playing outside the pool when one of the older kids' ball came out by him. Michael jogged toward the deep end of the pool to throw it to her and his throwing momentum took him right into the deep end of the pool. He immediately popped up toward the surface and swam to the side of the pool. Michael didn't panic at all. He instinctively and immediately started kicking his legs as he looked under the water for the side of the pool to reach for safety. Without ISR, I'm certain that the outcome would have been a lot scarier and more traumatic for all of us. It is unbelievable how fast it all happened.
We would like to thank Barb Davis for being our fantastic ISR instructor and Dr. Barnett for developing the ISR program that saved our son's life. Attached please find a picture of Michael that you have our permission to use if you choose to post it our your website.
Thank You,
Laurie and Barry Wanser
Conner's Story
Dear ISR,
On July 4th we were swimming at a friends pool, my husband was in the water as well as the father of another boy. Our son Conner who is 2 years old was sitting on the steps of the pool with a 4 year old. Conner had no lifejacket or floatation because we know that these present a false sense of floatation and could reduce his learned ISR skills from our education within the ISR Parent Resource Book. However, the 4 year old boy sitting on the steps with Conner had on a lifejacket and floats on his arms. My husband had walked to the middle of the pool to retrieve something and at that time the 4 year old pushed Conner off the steps of the pool. I was walking out of the house and saw it and saw my husband doing his best to get to him. Immediately Conner flipped to his back and although he didn’t have float down perfectly he was able to get his head above water to get a breath of air, he took a breath and rolled over and started swimming to the edge, he flipped over again to breathe when he was at the steps and at that time I reached in and gave him my hand. It all happened so fast I was really shocked and that there were 2 adults in the pool and 4 others within 6 feet of the pool.
I believe that even though Conner had not finished the ISR program and was 6 weeks in, he was saved by knowing the basics of rolling over to breathe. I was shocked as well as the other adults sitting around the pool that he rolled on his back and was staying above water and did not panic. The pool was not too cold, about 80 degrees and it was warm outside about 85. He was fine after the situation and wanted to stay in the pool and continue playing and swimming, he acted as if nothing had happened.
I now understand just how fast a drowning can occur and even with adults right there. I believe that because of ISR our son knew what to do to survive and did not go under water. I would recommend this program to anyone for the safety of their children near water. This one situation, which I hope is all we go thru, just justified the cost and time associated with ISR.
Thank You,
Brooke Hoster
Tucker's Story
Dear ISR,
This summer we found ourselves relocating to Florida for a job and renting a house with a pool. Even though it has a safety fence, I was not comfortable being in the water with both of my boys at the same time. Tanner, 4 1/2, was scared to put his face in the water after years of "swim lessons." Tucker, 21 months, isn't afraid of a thing, which is also dangerous. I decided that this time I had to get serious so I signed up for ISR lessons. I was convinced that Tanner would need at least 8 weeks because of his wonderfully stubborn personality. Much to my surprise, he was swimming under the water and opening his eyes within ONE lesson! He successfully graduated in four weeks and was sad to do so. He learned so many valuable lessons, including self confidence. He is now jumping off into the pool and swimming the length of our pool. Tucker, is 21 months. He has been in ISR lessons for 5 weeks now. He cries throughout the entire lesson, but LOVES swimming in our pool at home. His instructor, Ms. Lauren, has assured me that the crying is just because he is "working." He does everything he is supposed to in the lessons, but success wasn't as easy to see as it was with Tanner because of his age. This past weekend, I was in the kitchen watching my husband swim with the boys. My husband got out on one end, just as Tucker jumped in the other end. I froze, just waiting for my husband to jump in after him. While holding my breath, Tucker swam under water and just as I was running out the door (my husband seemed not to have seen him), Tucker flipped over and was floating on his back. By the time my husband got there, Tucker had already flipped back in the water, swimming towards the edge.
Thank you, ISR, and Ms. Lauren, for changing our lives. I have never learned to swim myself and this is an invaluable skill for my children.
Shanda Bearden
Kevin's Story
Dear ISR,
About fifteen years ago our son Kevin was enrolled in your
program at the age of thirteen months.The reason why we placed Kevin in
these lessons was for the few extra seconds of safety because at the
time our home was on a canal and we had an inground pool.He completed
the program sucessfully. This child loved the water. At the age of
eight Kevin joined a competive club swim team. Today as he approaches
his sixteen birthday he is still on the competive club swim team. Since
the beginning Kevin has made top sixteen times for his age group and
junior olympic cuts. In his high school swimming career he made state
finals in the backstoke. He also has made sectional times in the
backstoke. As a parent I feel that this program made him feel
comfortable with the water at an early age. We have always said Kevin
could swim to the wall of the pool before he could walk on the ground.
Colleges are now looking at him for their team. Who would think that
lessons for safety would develop a child into such a natural swimmer.
Sincerely,
Theresa Lindgren
Byron's Story
Dear ISR, We can't thank you enough for the service you are doing to save children from drowning! Our son, Byron, is 2.5 years old. He was nearing the end of his lessons with our wonderful instructor, Barb Davis, when we went on vacation to Missouri. It was the last week of April, 2008 on a cold, windy day. Byron was wearing jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, diaper, and socks and shoes. We were standing on a pier over a lake watching the water, which was quite cold and dark. Byron squatted down to throw a stick in the water, but he lost his balance and fell head first off the pier. I saw a swirl of colors for only an instant, and then he was gone. He disappeared completely in the deep, muddy water. I was standing right next to him when it happened, but I felt so helpless because I couldn't see where he was. A moment later, Byron's little face popped up out of the water, he took a breath, and swam right to the side of the pier! He was cold and unhappy, but perfectly healthy. No medical treatment was necessary. I am so grateful Byron learned aquatic survival because this could have been a drowning situation. Thank God for ISR!
Sincerely,
Adrianna Lathrop
Tylie's Story
We had an inground pool put in last summer. We have taken all the recommended safety precautions (fence, locks, alarms), but we feel like you can never be too safe when it comes to your children and water. While on vacation in Hawaii, I watched an 18 month old girl swim and play in the water. She was swim/floating. I was fascinated. Her mom told me about ISR. When we got home, I found Nancy. I signed Tylie up right away. We live in Northern Virginia and I had to drive 30 minutes both ways, five days a week, with my two other children (5 and 3) in tow. It was worth every minute!! Tylie is our third child, and she is now 18 months old. I was amazed at how quickly she caught on. She cried a lot during the lessons, but the cry was not a scared one. She was more mad. After the third week or so, she settled down a lot. Now that it is summer and we are in the pool everyday, I'm so glad I did it. Tylie is so respectful of the water. She loves it. I get in with her each day and we spend a few minutes getting into a float from various positions. Nancy let me get in the water during the last week and she showed me the different techniques to use. I was so pleased that several of my friends with pools have enrolled their children in the program.
Sincerely,
Amber Thrash
Sawyer's Story
I am so thankful for the ISR lessons (provided in my area by Stefani Norville). As a new parent with a pool at home I just knew that I had to seek out some safety training for my baby. I was so glad that I was able to start my son at 6.5 months old and I am confident now that he will be able to turn himself onto his back and float should an accident ever happen. The knowledge that I have an extra few minutes is priceless!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Stong
Regan's Story
Deana- I just wanted to send you an e-mail to personally thank you for all you have done for both of my children. First of all, Madison is floating like a champ and somewhat swimming like a fish. We were at Julie's today and we couldn't get them out of the pool. They were jumping from the beach step out into the water and swimming/floating (Madison) to the steps. It was awesome to watch.
Now for the "ah-ha" moment as Oprah would put it, Julie and I were sitting there talking, Madison and Chloe were jumping in the pool and Regan was playing on the beach step as we thought. As you well know it only takes a second, the girls yell, "Mommy, mommy look!" Julie and I both turn at the same time to see Regan floating on her back towards the wall. I can't tell you what it feels like as a mother to have a moment like that and realize how thankful you are to the one person that saved your kids life. Thank you so much for everything you have done. A situation today that could have been so tragic, makes you realize how important this program is. In the three years that I have been through ISR with my children, I have never been as comfortable around water with both of them as I have this year, and I owe it all to you.
Thanks again for doing what you do!
Lisa
Sydney and Spencer's Story
Letter of Recommendation for Yvonne Mouser Yvonne taught my daughter, Sydney age 3, and my son, Spencer age 2, the infant swim Self-Rescue techniques during the summer of 2007. We had recently relocated from New Jersey to Orlando. Our new home had a pool and our children did not know how to swim. We had heard of the Infant Swim Resource program from a neighbor. We had our reservations, but decided to give it a try. It was one of the best decisions that we have ever made for our children. During the first week, it was difficult to listen to our children cry as they did not like the water. Yvonne did an excellent job in showing us that our children were progressing. Through her confidence and reassuring demeanor, we noticed how much our children were learning. It should also be noted that our children responded differently to Yvonne's teaching. Yvonne seamlessly and naturally adjusted to meet each child's needs. All I can say is Amazing, Unbelievable, and Forever Thankful. Yvonne taught my children how to survive in the water. Sydney and Spencer are able to swim - float - swim across our pool. Starting from a point of being scared and crying to be in the water, it is amazing that today; Sydney and Spencer absolutely love to be in the water. They are able to jump into the deep end of the pool and swim – float - swim to safety. Whenever we travel and stay at hotels, we are always stopped and questioned about how well our children swim. How old are they? What only 3 and 4? How did you teach them? That is when we explain ISR and how the program works. After watching our children in the pool, the conversations always end with – I must sign my kids up or tell my children or friends about ISR. It would be our pleasure to share about our experience.
Sincerely,
Pamela and Timothy
Caden's Story
Well, we hestiated writing this as we thought at first this makes us out to be bad parents, after this story you will see how it actually makes us out to be parents of the year by choosing and following through with ISR. We also wanted everyone to know that this can happen to you.. My husband is a firefighter, paramedic, emt in Florida, for over 17 years, so I am sure you understand, he has seen it all. He is, and putting it lightly, extremely anal, when it comes to watching his kids, after all no one watches your kids better than you right???. Well, here is our story, We live on the water, we have a pool, we boat 3 or 4 times a week, we pick up our daughter from elementary school by boat (it beats traffic here in florida). My parents live on the water and have a pool, my husbands parents also have a pool. Why wouldn't we put our 22 month old in ISR, well frankly its because I thought it would hurt him, I signed up and whimped out, I called and canceled the lesson. Thank goodness Famerra Hopkins called me back and asked what I was affraid of, after explaining my fears to her, she offered for us to come talk to parents and watch a few lessons. Which we did and after that day we followed through with our lessons. Just after slightly 4 weeks into the lessons, my 22 month old (caden) had learned the breath control and was just learning how to float, we ventured to an nearby island we visit EVERY sunday morning with friends. Just feet off the this island there is a terrible rip current, so we stay close to all the kids. As my son is standing in knee deep water right next to my husband, my husband turns his head to talk to someone to say hi and Caden takes one step to the left where there was a hole. Caden went under and no one knew it, after just seconds we hear caden grunting and my husband looks next to him and caden is floating on his back a few feet away. We had no idea that the sand was uneven right there and caden had stepped where he couldn't touch and had gone under, held his breath, then flipped over to breath and we heard his breathing, grunting and grabbed him. He did it we did not even take in any water he was not coughing at all - he held his breath and turned to floa t on his back to breathe. ISR and Famerra Hopkins, I can not thank you enough, we want everyone to know, DONT THINK IT CANT HAPPEN TO YOU.. No matter how much you watch your kids IT CAN HAPPEN, it only takes a second, just a single second. ISR is so worth the money as the alternative is just unaccetable. THANK YOU ISR - We will do everything we can to keep him into the lessons, and we will talk to talk everyone we know about these lessons. My husband saves peoples lives and ISR saves our most treasured blessing our son. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS.. Kapi, Billy, Chasten and Caden
Sincerely,
Karli
Devin's Story
Thank you to ISR and to our wonderful instructor, Nancy for providing this essential service to the public. My 7-year old daughter, Devin, took lessons in 2002. The summer after her winter/spring lessons we were hanging around our pool with some friends. Devin was playing on the pool steps and we were sitting on the side of the pool watching her. We turned our heads for just a few seconds and when we turned back we saw that Devin had reached for a ball that floated away. She must have reached too far or lost her balance on the steps. She was floating on her back just like she learned in her ISR lessons and not panicking. She was fine. We were shaken, but relieved that she had completed her ISR training and knew exactly what to do. We now understand first hand the benefits of ISR training and how you can't afford to turn your head for just one second. This spring 2008, my 5- and 2-year old sons, Graham and Owen completed ISR training with Nancy in Northern Virginia. She miraculously transformed a scared, screaming toddler into a confident and competent one with water Self-Rescue skills. Her gentle yet strong teaching style and firm grasp of the ISR methodology were the perfect mix to bring out the confidence in both of my boys. They went from screaming and running from the pool the first week of lessons to asking each day when they could go to swimming and see "Miss Nancy". I am a firm believer and staunch supporter of ISR. THANK YOU to ISR and to Nancy for providing and teaching water Self-Rescue skills to my children. It is a gift beyond words.
~Erin Martin
Sincerely,
Karli
Jakob's Story
Our 18 mo. old son Jakob was outside playing in the backyard with my husband. I had been asking my husband for months to get a fence installed around our pool, even though Jakob completed ISR training because I didn't want him falling in. Sure enough, Jakob threw one of our dog's toys in the pool and went right in after it. Before my husband or I could get to the pool to retrieve Jakob he was doing his float. It made me feel SO much better (even though of course I was freaking out!). ISR is the most amazing resource out there & we are SO thankful for Angela our instructor. She is the BEST! (And yes, the fence went in 2 days later).
Sincerely,
Karli
Jack's Story
For Spring Break, we went to visit my parents in Florida. When we arrived, knowing that they had a pool, we went swimming with Jack, our 2-year-old son, and reviewed with him what Darla Sandy had taught us in her ISR class. It had been a few weeks since his last lesson but was apparent that he knew what to do. We flipped him, he floated, he swam between us, etc. Through out the week, we were impressed that he seemed to be so aware of the pool and that he couldn't "walk on water". He also liked throwing the ball for my parent's dog, and many times it went into the pool. When we would retrieve it, he would get on all fours and crawl to the edge of the pool and lay on his belly so he could watch. If anything, I thought, he knows about water.
On our last day there, my husband and I were outside watching Jack throw the ball for the dog between the pool and the lanai. As I left to go inside, my husband started to put his laptop away so he could watch Jack. While he was looking down into his briefcase, Jack threw the ball into the pool by mistake. I suppose he had seen us get the ball out of the pool many times, and decided this time he would try himself. I was just coming around the corner to ask my husband a question, when I heard the splash and the dog bark. By the time I got to the pool edge, Jack was floating and turning to grab the side of the pool. When I asked my husband what happened, he said the he was looking down, heard the splash, and by the time he got to the edge, Jack was already floating. We lifted Jack out of the pool and he said, "All done!" just as he did after each lesson. He gave us each a high five. We are speculating that he went in after the ball since the ball was floating next to him. Even with us being outside with him, but looking down for only a moment, Jack fell in.
Thank you one million times for coming to Oklahoma to teach this class. Truly our lifesaver.
Sincerely,
Courtney Hudson
Chase's Story
My friend from work sent me the video of little Miles. It impacted me deeply and I didn't hesistate. I was so fortunate to find Krista the local ISR instructor and had my barely 2 year old son, Chase signed up for the following Monday morning.
Chase screamed and tried to hit Krista throughout the entire week. She, however, remained calm and unrattled. She continued to gently guide Chase through the lessons. Because he was so upset, she utilized the float technique, as this seemed to help calm him.
After one week, I considered taking him out of the class. The next day (Saturday) we went to my Mom's house for a day in the pool. After we finished, I took Chase and his sister (age 6) and her little friend, to a room at the back end of the house to dry them off and get them all dressed.
I left them all there watching cartoons and eating snacks, while I went back to the pool to gather all of our belongings. As I picked up the toys I spoke for a moment with my husband. Then I had a bad feeling and said to my husband, "Ya know, I don't know where Chase is right now, I can't talk." Then proceeded back towards the room I had left him in with the older girls.
If I had taken any other path but the one I took, it would not have lead me past the jacuzzi. As I walked by I saw what looked like a doll floating in the water. It was my son! I jumped in and grabbed him. My husband was on us in an instant and we prepared to give him CPR. As we layed him down we realized that he was fine. No coughing, no crying!
After the accident I was able to reflect on what my two eyes had seen. Chase was floating on his back, face up! He was fully clothed, shoes and all.
This little boy saved himself! And after only 5 days of 10 minute sessions. I know that Krista, ISR, and my co-worker, save my sons life. If Chase had not had this training, which was miminal at best, he would have died.
My story is like so many I heard before. It happens in an instant. There wasn't a splash, a gulp, or a sound! We were standing right there! I never really thought it would happen to me. I am a good mother. But, it did happen to me.
I am urging anyone who will listen to me to take every sacrifice and put your small children through this program. I am honest when I say that I was initially skeptical, but willing to try it out. I am here now to say that my beautiful little blued-eyed sunshine would not be here if it weren't for the program and the beautiful instructor Krista! Chase has now finished his lessons, he can swim and float and he loves the water!
Gratefully,
Chelsea Bryan
Laguna Niguel, CA
Ty's Story
Our 2 year old son, Ty, was two weeks shy of finishing his initial roll-to-float lessons when we got a first hand demonstration of how well ISR works.
Here's our story:
We had our son in swim lessons with another swim program for a few months when my husband told me that he was actually getting worse in the water-more clingy and less secure. We took him out immediately and were trying to find a new swim program when we received an email from a friend showing the video of Miles. We knew it was exactly what we were looking for. We signed him up and began lessons right away.
A month later my mother-in-law was playing with my son near their pool and got distracted by someone else for a split second. Just as she turned her attention back to him she started to scream as she saw him falling-head first-into the deep end of the pool 10 feet away. At the same time, I saw him falling in and ran to jump in to get him. Just as I reached the side of the pool, I saw him pop up and float - just like he did in his lessons. This time, however, he was fully clothed in jeans, a long sleeve shirt, a sweatshirt, sneakers and socks, as it was a cold day. We hadn't got to that part of our lessons yet!! I pulled him right out of the pool and saw that, thankfully, he was just fine. If it wasn't for ISR I honestly don't know what would have happened. In the very least I imagine he would have been pretty traumatized and at the very worst we may have lost our son.
We will forever be grateful to ISR and to our wonderful instructor, Kristy Wexler. We will continue to recommend ISR to everyone we can. Thank you again for your wonderful program.
With Heartfelt Gratitude,
Jean & Scott
Justice's Story
Our 14 month old son finished his ISR classes in February. This Saturday, our whole family was outside playing. I went into the house to cook dinner and my husband stayed out with the children. At one point, our oldest daughter walked away from my husband and told him she was going inside. My 14 month old followed her. My husband thought she knew he followed her, she didn't. In the beginning of my sons ISR classes, he had a certain cry when he was being trained in the water. It wasn't his normal cry. It sounded like he was saying "I don't like being in this water!" As I stood there in my kitchen, I recognized that specific cry. I ran out the back door and found my son floating in our very cold pool, with perfect ISR form, fully clothed in two layers of clothing, a very wet diaper, and tennis shoes. I reached in the water and picked him up (he was close to the edge) and he didn't even cough. He accidentally fell in that cold pool and automatically remembered what he was taught....so much so that he didn't swallow one bit of water! We dried him off, warmed him up...and he was perfectly fine.
Since yesterday, I have been just staring at my baby in amazement. In the full knowledge that had we not made the sacrifices we did to get him water trained, he would be dead right now. None of us heard him fall in that pool, we only heard him cry. We would not have heard that cry had he not been taught the self rescue technique. My heart aches for other parents who have lost babies to water accidents. ISR's goal to ensure "that not one more child drowns" was fulfilled today. I strongly encourage everyone who has children to make whatever sacrifices are necessary to make your baby water safe. This program works, our son is L-I-V-I-N-G proof! And a huge thank you to his instructors, Bonnie and Becky!
Larry and Karri
Magnolia, TX
(Attached picture is Justice with his big sister, who also is ISR trained)
Elizabeth's Story
We have a 5 year old daughter who started taking swim classes at our club in California when she was 6 months old. She immediately took to the water and was swimming 8 feet under water by the time she was 8 months old. This of course gave her a false confidence because if there was not a wall to grab on to, or a person, she would drown. When she was 1 1/2 years old, the ISR program was brought to our club. We enrolled her and in less than three weeks, she was totally water safe.
She continued smim lessons with her ISR teacher and then began to learn strokes, and by the time she was 3, she was swimming 10 laps of an OLYMPIC pool.
Last month we were on a vacation in the Caribbean, (she just turned 5 in January) and we swam out to a floating raft a fair distance from the shore. We met some older children on the raft, and our daughter being an extremely friendly and outgoing child, made friends with them. Suddenly the boys dove into the water to swim back. They were probably about 10 years old. Our daughter dove in after them... we were watching her..and we immediately jumped in after her... but she was ahead of us, (she is fast...) and we just couldn't catch up..I could see that she was getting tired and I was starting to panic as we swam towards her...when suddenly she just rolled onto her back and "rested" which is the technique she learned when she was 1 1/2 years old from ISR, and HASN'T USED IT SINCE!!!...and then she continued to swim into shore, totally relaxed, no panic, no stress. It was incredible to see, she just intuitively rolled to her back, just as she did many years before.
I see so many children in the water, much older than she is, who still can't swim, and they are using water wings, or other forms of flotation, which are really not adequate in preventing drowing. We are so thankful to ISR for making our children a confident, safe and incredible swimmer.
Brenden's Story
In September of 2007, I was introduced to ISR via that amazing video of the 9 month old baby (Miles). That video touched me in such a way that the very next day I was on the phone looking for an instructor. We found Emma Grynbal and signed up for lessons. My son was 14 months old when we started. After four weeks, Ms. Emma and I decided that he had the adequate training as he had learned the float technique so well. In February of 2008, just 5 months after the lessons, my son was kicking his feet in the water of our family pool and slid in the deep end. My husband and I immediately ran to the edge of the pool in fear and to our amazement he was turning him self over into the float position. I was shocked. He had not been in a pool since he had the lessons due to the weather turning cold but yet he instinctively knew what to do. Even though this incident happened when my husband and I were watching our son, it could have easily happened at a time that we were not. I feel that if it wasn't for ISR and the lessons he had the outcome may have been much different. I am confident now that if the incident happens again, my son will be able to help himself in saving his life. Thanks ISR!!!
Helen's Story
Last year our babysitters found our 3 year floating face down in the deep end of our pool. She was airlifted to the hospital where she was in the PICU hooked up to a ventilator for a week before being moved to another floor for 9 more days. Miraculously, she survived. When my neighbor sent me the video of Miles, I knew there was no way I would not sign my daughter up for this. She has just started her second week and she can already swim several feet in the water and is making unbelievable progress in such a short time. I have begun spreading the word about ISR to everyone and so many are ready to sign up. Nobody should have to go through what we went through last year and ISR is the best way I can see to prevent it. Thanks so much.
360 Education
ISR educates your child on Self-Rescue. ISR educates you as well. Every parent receives The Parent Resource Book, developed by Dr. Harvey Barnett, founder of ISR. This informative and detailed book covers topics such as attitudes, emotions, and physiology as well as family aquatic safety. As your child learns Self-Rescue, you will be learning valuable lessons about keeping your family safe for years to come.
For additional information or questions, please use the Instructor Locator in the orange box on your left to find a Certified ISR Instructor near you.
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