NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 4, 2025 — The American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health, is promoting water safety, a priority initiative in multiple markets for the Off the Field National Football League Wives Association. The American Heart Association offered hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) education and automated external defibrillators (AEDs) as part of the safe swimming event held at Tulane University's Reily Center on Tuesday, Feb. 4. The event hosted nearly 200 children to learn essential water safety skills and undergo a swimming assessment to measure their current skills and identify areas for improvement.
"There are things that are done out of necessity and others out of passion. This is both for us. We are committed to teaching our NFL athletes, their families, and NFL communities. No more lives will be lost to drowning," said Off the Field NFL Wives Association and NFL Community Development Vice President Hagar Elgendy, M.D.
The event was held with the support of other nonprofits, including the USA Swimming Foundation, which hosted four-time Olympic medalist and current world record holder Cullen Jones to lead the in-water clinic and share his personal experience. Jones nearly drowned as a child, and yet he became the first African-American to hold a world record in swimming. In addition, the YMCA of the U.S. (Y-USA), in conjunction with the YMCA of New Orleans, welcomed local students from Good Shepherd School and Bissonet Plaza Elementary School to participate in the program. This was the second event of its kind with these four organizations (American Heart Association, Off the Field, USA Swimming, and YMCA) supporting water safety. The first was held in Cincinnati in May 2024. The goal is to expand to hold safe swimming events in all 32 NFL markets.
"We want more people to be confident and capable when faced with a cardiac emergency, adding more people to the Association's Nation of Lifesavers™ movement, which aims to double survival rates by 2030," said Nancy Brown, Executive Director of the American Heart Association. "At the American Heart Association, our future is about improving yours. This collaboration is a prime example of how we meet people where they are to provide life-saving education and ensure everyone, everywhere is prepared and trained to perform CPR and help save a life."
According to data from the American Heart Association, 9 out of 10 people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die, in part because more than half of the time they don't receive CPR right away. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple the victim's chances of survival. Compression-only CPR, known as hands-only CPR, can be just as effective as traditional CPR in the first few minutes of emergency response and is a skill that everyone can learn. It's very simple. If you see an adult or teen suddenly collapse, call 911, and then press hard and fast on the center of the person's chest. It is recommended that children and infants always receive CPR consisting of chest compressions and rescue ventilations at a ratio of two ventilations every 30 compressions.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in the United States in children ages 1 to 4 and the second leading cause of death in children under the age of 14[1]. To help improve water safety skills, participants learned basics including how to roll on their back if they fall, how to propel themselves from the bottom of the pool and reach for the wall, how to get out of the pool safely, and how to help a friend in distress. Drowning can occur virtually anywhere there is standing water. CPR with rescue ventilation is recommended for any suspected cardiac arrest in a drowning emergency, regardless of the person's age. A combination of two rescue ventilations and a cycle of 30 compressions should be applied until the person reacts, additional help arrives from emergency services, or an automated external defibrillator is available.
"The USA Swimming Foundation is thrilled to offer another free opportunity for children to access the life-saving skill of learning to swim," said Elaine Calip, Executive Director of the USA Swimming Foundation. "Our crucial work continues to impact communities across the country that may not have access to water safety resources. We are proud to continue our work with the Off the Field NFL Wives Association, the American Heart Association and the YMCA of the USA to support our mission to save lives, build champions and impact communities."
Este evento fue diseñado para equipar a los niños con las habilidades necesarias para ser competentes en seguridad en el agua cuando no tienen la capacidad de aprender de un padre o de un cuidador. Si un padre no sabe nadar, existe solo un 19% de posibilidad de que un niño en su hogar aprenda a nadar, según la USA Swimming Foundation.
The YMCA works to help the most vulnerable swimmers, including Black children ages 5 to 19, who are nearly six times more likely to drown in a pool than their white peers. In addition, according to the YMCA, 45% of Hispanic/Latino children and 64% of African American children have little or no swimming skills[2]. Students who participate in the Feb. 4 event will receive supplemental lessons thanks to YMCA New Orleans. The YMCA's Safety Around Water program is an eight-lesson program that teaches water safety skills to help reduce the risk of drowning and build water skills and confidence. According to the National Institute of Health, just one month of swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88%.
"Learning to swim is an essential life skill, not a privilege," said Lindsay Mondick, Director of Water Activities and Water Safety at Y-USA. The YMCA's Safety Around Water program is the first step in equipping children with essential water safety skills and we are excited to partner with Off the Field and bring this key program to so many New Orleans children."
For others interested in learning hands-only CPR, American Heart Association instructors will be available at the Super Bowl Experience presented by Panini at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. The Nation of Lifesavers Mobile CPR Unit will offer walk-in instruction while the event is open to the public from Wednesday, Feb. 5 through Saturday, Feb. 8. Participants will learn the correct frequency and depth of CPR compressions. The Association invites everyone to take 90 seconds right now to learn how to save a life in www.heart.org/nation.
Additional resources:
- Press release in English
- Photos available in the right column of the link in the statement.
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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force working toward a world with longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring health equity in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than a hundred years. With the support of more than 35 million volunteers worldwide, we fund pioneering research, advocate for public health, and provide essential resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us through heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/drowning/data-research/facts/index.html#:~:text=More%20children%20ages%201%E2%80%934,death%20after%20motor%20vehicle%20crashes
[2] https://www.usaswimming.org/news/2017/05/25/usa-swimming-foundation-announces-5-10-percent-increase-in-swimming-ability