A swimming instructor says protective parents are making a potentially fatal mistake by swaddling their children’s “little arms” in towels after they get out of the pool.
Nikki Scarnati made the declaration during a video shared to TikTok — and it could come as lifesaving advice as the summer swimming season gets underway.
“When you get your child out of the pool, naturally we want to cover them completely, like this” the coach claims in the clip, which shows her wrapping a towel over a young child’s shoulders. “But if they were to fall into the pool this way, all of their limbs are going to be restricted underneath a wet towel.”
Instead, Scarnati urges parents and caregivers to tuck the towel under the child’s arms, saying it’ll allow them more movement if they accidentally fall into the pool.
“After you get them out of the pool, you should first dry their arms off and put the towel underneath their arms,” she explains. “This way, if they end up in the water they can still have access to their limbs to self-rescue, and they’re that much safer.”
The Florida-based swim coach also warned parents against giving children oversized towels to dry off, saying they’re a hazard that can cause kids to trip and fall into the pool.
Scarnati’s advice was well-received by more than 6 million viewers, some of whom thanked her for sharing the safety tip ahead of the summer.
“I can confirm this is true,” one admirer wrote.
“When I was two I fell into the deep end of a pool with my towel on around my arms, and I had to be rescued.”
However, other parents claimed the tip was not practical, saying their kids loved to wrap up warm in oversized towels.
“Not realistic though. They’re cold and it won’t stay on this way,” one declared.
“My daughter’s four,” another chimed in. “She’s gonna move the towel on top of her shoulders if she’s cold.”
Meanwhile, Scarnati’s towel tip TikTok isn’t the first of the swim coach’s clips to make a splash online.
Last month, she went viral after urging parents not to buy their children swimwear that matches the color of the pool.
The mom shared footage of her own daughter wearing blue bathers as she splashed around in the water to highlight how she became camouflaged.
“This is why you do not put your children in blue bathing suits. Look at how difficult it is to under the water,” Scarnati declared.
“And this is in calm water. This is not with a whole bunch of other kids playing and splashing around and having a good time.”
“So, do not buy blue bathing suits, guys,” she begged, suggesting parents “buy bright ones” instead.