Mum of tragic tot wants Wigan children to have controversial swim survival lessons

Emma Aspinall, from Hindley Green, tragically lost her young son Loui in September 2013 after he drowned while on a family holiday in Tunisia with her husband Gavin and her daughter Darcy.

Loui was just two years old when he wandered into the pool alone after a miscommunication between his parents saw them both believe that the other was taking care of him.

Determined his death would not be in vain, Emma began researching water safety courses for children.

After finding the Pediaswim programme in the United States teaching children how to be self-reliant in water from just a few-months-old, Emma raised more than £10,000 to complete the course herself.

The 36-year-old launched her infant swim sessions at Hindley Green’s Body Image Fitness centre in 2017 whilst also setting-up the ‘DOIT4LOUI’ charity to continue her son’s legacy and raise further awareness.

At first, Emma received negative comments when she shared videos online of Wigan children being taught the skills, after the methods of the course were described by some as cruel.

After explaining the reasoning why, criticism of the swim survival course began to disappear, and the sessions started to grow in popularity.

Three-years after launching the sessions, Emma has grown in-confidence with her teaching, and now believes the survival course must be taught in schools across the country to protect children from the dangers of water.

Emma said: “Our charity called ‘Do it 4 Loui’ is in memory of my little boy Loui who we lost in 2013. What I do is teach children how to survive if they were to fall in water or get into difficulty in water.

“Our charity provides funding for children and parents who might not necessarily be able to afford the cost, so everything that we raise helps towards that. We also raise money to train other instructors, because it costs a lot of money.

“Raising awareness is a massive thing that needs to be put out there, as so many children drown. We didn’t realise that until it happened to us - and it’s happening all the time - and it happens within seconds. I think it should be taught in schools, and one day, it will be.

“It needs to be added to the school curriculum to help every child know how to survive in water. When I first started, it was very controversial, because it is the unknown here and I received a lot of criticism.

“It’s taught in America and Australia and in countries that have a lot of water, and I thought Brits go on holiday all the time, so it’s just as important for our children to learn.

“The reason I personally think it is not on the school curriculum is money. Lessons that are being provided can put 10 to 15 children in a class, and they can make a lot more doing that, than what this is. Pediaswim is one-to-one and it takes a lot more time to teach them individually.

“Another part of it is that children cry sometimes. It’s not easy, and I say this all the time, but children cry for hundreds of different reasons. It doesn’t necessarily mean there is something wrong. They cry when we take them for vaccinations, but we still do it.

“They cry sometimes when they don’t want to put on their seatbelt, so should we say, ‘oh okay you don’t need to wear it?’. No, because we know it’s for their safety - and this is no different - and these lessons are safer than any other lessons.

“At the beginning, it was hard and difficult to hear some of the comments being made, but further down the line now and with the results we’ve achieved and the children we’ve worked with, the proof is in the pudding.

“My message to parents is to never rule it out, just because it might not look appealing. Think about the sessions and think about why they need these skills because it is a matter of life and death.

“In seconds, my boy was gone. Before that, I’d never even thought about it. I wish I could’ve had that time back with Loui, and I’d have known then what I know now but my goal is to pass it on to everybody else to prevent other children from drowning.

“I treat every child like they are my own, I love them all and although some children take a little longer to settle, it is all done in a safe environment with my 100-per cent attention on each little one that is entrusted to me.”

The Infant Swim Survival course teaches children to hold their breath under water, to roll on their back from any position, to float unassisted and breathe until help arrives and to perform all these self-rescue skills first in a swimsuit and then fully clothed.

If you are interested in letting your child start the Swim Survival course, visit www.Doit4Loui.com for further information.