Family Foundations Join Together to Create Online Tool to Inform Families on How to Stay Safe in Pools and Spas

GREENWICH, Conn. – The official kick off of pool season begins Memorial Day weekend but just before the water fun begins, The ZAC Foundation – a national water safety advocacy organization that was established in honor of 6-year-old Zachary Archer Cohn who passed away after his arm became entrapped in his family’s backyard pool – is sharing an educational tool with parents to help keep children water safe this swimming season.

The ZAC Foundation, in partnership with Abbey’s Hope Charitable Foundation, released an online explainer called “Hidden Hazard:  One thing to know before your kids jump in the pool.”  The new tool is designed for parents and caregivers to share with family and friends in the hopes of preventing a pool or spa drain entrapment.

“During the hot summer months, swimmers begin taking to water without always fully knowing what dangers potentially are lurking beneath the surface of their pool or spa.  We created the easy-to-understand tool with families in mind to hopefully prevent future entrapments from occurring,” said Karen Cohn, Zachary’s mother and co-founder of The ZAC Foundation.

Since his passing, Zachary’s parents – Karen and Brian Cohn – vowed to arm children and families with the information they need to stay water safe, as did Katey and Scott Taylor of Abbey’s Hope Charitable Foundation following the death of their 6-year-old daughter Abbey as a result of injuries sustained from an improperly maintained pool drain.

“A drowning or entrapment can happen in seconds, even when lifeguards or other caregivers are present – people must know the risks and be vigilant,” said Katey Taylor, Abbey’s mother and co-founder of Abbey’s Hope Charitable Foundation.  “The more parents and caregivers know about protecting children and spotting potential dangers, the more likely we can prevent these tragedies from happening in the first place.”

The ZAC Foundation and the Abbey’s Hope Charitable Foundation intend for the online education tool to be embedded into websites, on blogs and shared through social media networks to spread the message about drain entrapment prevention.

Editor’s Note:  The online tutorial can be used in online news stories by using the following embed code: 

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About The ZAC Foundation
The ZAC Foundation was established in 2008 by Brian and Karen Cohn after the loss of their 6-year-old son Zachary Archer Cohn in a pool drain entrapment in their backyard swimming pool.  Through education, advocacy and programming, the Foundation is dedicated to preparing children and families for a lifetime of water safety. By the end of 2014, The ZAC Foundation will have delivered more than 3,500 children with water safety training and swimming instruction through weeklong camps presented in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America called ZAC Camps. The Cohn family has also published their first children’s book about the value of swimming and safe water practices called The Polar Bear Who Couldn’t, Wouldn’t Swim.  To learn more about The ZAC Foundation, connect with us on Facebook and thezacfoundation.org.

About Abbey’s Hope
Abbey’s Hope Charitable Foundation is a Minnesota nonprofit organization named after Abbey Taylor, the Edina, Minn., 6-year-old who died in 2008 as a result of injuries sustained from an improperly maintained pool drain.

The foundation’s goal is to:

• Promote awareness of and education related to child safety issues, including educating pool owners, operators, inspectors, and the general public about the dangers of pool entrapment, evisceration and drowning and the need for physical inspections of pool equipment.
• Work with the pool and spa industry to improve the design of its products, packaging and warning labels, and assist in the development of product safety standards related to such products.
• Identify and provide support and assistance to organizations and programs that help educate parents, children, and pool and spa manufacturers about the prevention of entrapment and traditional forms of drowning.