As parents, our single greatest fear is that something bad will happen to our children. It’s something that’s difficult to shake. And, for that, no one really can blame us. If you ask anyone, our single most important job in this world is to protect our children and help them grow.

That’s why, for Ron Wiand, June 9 was a day to remember. And thankfully for all the right reasons.

Ron and his 5 year-old son, Andrew, have been coming to Goldfish for a long time. Andrew started at the Mini level at just 15 months old. During Andrew’s first several introductions to the water, he’ll be the first to tell you it wasn’t his favorite. His anxiety spiked, and he would often head to Goldfish with tears in his eyes.

But after several more sessions with our attentive and nurturing Goldfish instructors, Andrew overcame his discomfort with the water and steadily progressed through our swimming program. Junior, Beginner, Glider—you name it, he’s mastered it!

Andrew is now such an accomplished swimmer, especially with arm technique and backstroke, says his instructor Mr. Alex at Goldfish Rochester, that he now swims at the highest Goldfish swim level, the Pro level.

Which brings us to the incident on Sunday, June 9. As Ron explains in the video below, the Wiand family was celebrating at his nephew’s graduation party. Everything was going wonderfully: there was family, food and fun. Andrew was having the time of his life playing beside the pool, which was beautifully decorated with a spectacular display of over-sized beach balls.

The next thing he knew it, the unthinkable happened: Andrew fell in. Unable to see him from under the beach balls, Ron’s mind immediately feared the worst. But before he knew it, there was Andrew, clothes drenched, rolling over onto his back and attempting to do a backstroke. Since his clothes were weighing him down, he moved to Plan B: he began to calmly tread water as he moved to the edge of the pool.

“We were so thankful at that time that he had taken these lessons,” explained Ron, reflecting on Andrew’s fall. “Everything that we had paid for for the tuition at Goldfish, in that one moment, was paid for. It was priceless.”

If you would like to prepare your child to stay safe near and in the water, we encourage you to sign up for swim lessons. These lessons are saving lives.

Please visit our pre-registration page to choose the Goldfish Swim School location nearest you. We look forward to seeing you at lessons!