Take the Pledge to Put Phones Down When Around the Water this Summer
It seems like such a quick moment to respond to a text, answer a work email or make a quick grocery list, but quick actions can quickly become major distractions. And distractions around the water can have major consequences. In fact, 88% of child drownings occur with at least one adult present.
“People think they’ll hear someone if they’re struggling in the water, because that’s what we see in tv and movies,” says Vicki Coleman, Association Director of Aquatics. “In actuality, drowning is silent and can happen in as little as 30 seconds. When we’re looking at our phones, we don’t see what’s happening around us.”
The YMCA has launched a water safety campaign—Phones Down, Eyes Up™—in order to draw attention to this safety issue and encourage parents and caregivers to put phones and tablets away when monitoring children in and around the water.
The Y is asking everyone for two things this summer:
1: Visit PhonesDownEyesUp.org and take the water safety pledge, indicating you will put away your phones when around the water this summer.
2: Donate to the Y so they can continue offering free and reduced-cost drowning prevention and swim lessons.
Families who take the pledge will also have access to educational tools, including a reminder wallpaper for their phones, monthly newsletters with water safety tips, and downloadable lanyards to signify their role as Water Watchers.
According to the Virginia Department of Health, “40.0% of people who drowned in swimming pools from 2020 to 2024 were children ages 1 to 4, and 10.9% were youth ages 5 to 19.” In 2025 Virginia experienced its highest number of child drownings in six years.
“At the Y, we encourage adults to designate a Water Watcher when children are in or near the water,” explains Coleman. Water Watchers are adults whose role is to watch the water—undistracted by phones, books, conversations or alcohol. "We know how easily distractions can happen around water, but just one moment of inattention can have serious consequences. The YMCA of South Hampton Roads is committed to empowering families with the tools and information they need to stay safe around water.”
In 2025, gifts from people like you helped provide 3,731 children in Southeast Virginia and Northeast North Carolina with scholarships for swim and drowning prevention lessons at the Y. Give today and help put a family at ease, knowing their child is equipped with life-saving water safety skills.