As families across the Lake Tahoe region prepare for summer around the water, a local water safety instructor is encouraging parents of young children to consider drowning prevention before the busy season begins.

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children under 4 in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Communities around Lake Tahoe present unique challenges because children are frequently around lakes, pools, beaches, docks and hot tubs.

Lynnette Bellin, a certified instructor with Infant Swimming Resource (ISR), teaches Self-Rescue lessons for children ages 6 months to 6 years at the Incline Village Recreation Center. Since becoming certified in 2024, Bellin has taught more than 4,500 lessons to over 100 children in Reno and Incline Village.

Infant Swimming Resource is a specialized survival swimming program that has been teaching young children how to Self-Rescue in water for more than 60 years. Unlike traditional swim lessons that focus primarily on water comfort or basic strokes, ISR lessons focus on teaching children how to respond in an aquatic emergency.

Depending on their age and development, children learn skills such as rolling onto their back to float and breathe, maintaining an independent float until help arrives, swimming to the edge, and combining swimming and floating to reach safety.

The spring sessions available March through May will be the only opportunity for families to complete lessons before summer lake and pool activities begin. Lessons are 10 minutes a day Monday thru Friday for 6 weeks, and all lessons are private. The next planned session is expected in September.

Families can learn more at www.isrrenotahoe.com