Florida swim instructor's viral TikTok warns parents to avoid buying blue bathing suits for kids: Here's why

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Tips to stay safe in the water amid nationwide lifeguard shortages

Bellevue Parks & Community Service Department program manager Jen Newton explains how the lifeguard shortage could impact summer plans, and ways to stay safe at the pool or beach.

A mother from Spring Hill, Florida, has gone viral after warning viewers that the color of a child’s bathing suit could be a life-saving factor as pool season approaches.

In her recent TikTok video that grabbed 6.2 million views, Nikki Scarnati, an Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) and self-rescue instructor, issued a PSA: "Don’t buy blue bathing suits!"

Scarnati, 32, told Fox News Digital, "As an instructor in the industry, it's kind of widespread throughout our community that blue bathing suits are a no-no."

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She said choosing to purchase a blue-color bathing suit could be a fatal mistake for anyone, especially a small child.

"When you're wearing a blue bathing suit, you tend to blend in with the aquatic environment," Scarnati said. 

Nikki Scarnati, an Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) and self-rescue instructor, issued a PSA on TikTok that garnered millions of views: "Don’t buy blue bathing suits!" (Nikki Scarnati)

"The way that the water reflects light, it comes off as if it has a blue hue. So, if you're wearing a blue bathing suit, it may be harder to be spotted by a parent or a lifeguard."

Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1 to 4, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In the TikTok video, Scarnati's daughter Claire, 2, is shown swimming in a blue bathing suit that Scarnati bought on clearance to prove her message. 

In the footage, the child can be seen swimming and splashing near the surface of the water.

"But if she were to be deeper in the water, that would be much more problematic for a blue bathing suit," Scarnati said. "The deeper you are, the more difficult you are to see."

Rather than a blue suit, Scarnati said she recommends the parents buy a neon-colored swimsuit or one that's bright red, pink, yellow or orange — something that is in contrast with the color of the water itself.

"Neon colors also allow you to be seen [the easiest] in a crowd," Scarnati said. "So, if you're in a busy pool, it's easier to spot a neon bathing suit than a neutral or blue-colored bathing suit."

Ben Robert, senior coordinator for aquatics and safety education at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, agreed. He said there are other colors as well that can be problematic for rescue.

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"As far as swimming pools, that's true," Robert told Fox News Digital. 

"The blue is harder to see in clear water. The way [the] eyes function, it tends to blend in. But if you're in another body of water, like a river or lake, then greens would be an issue."

Nikki Scarnati said choosing to purchase a blue-color bathing suit could be a fatal mistake, as it's a difficult color for people to spot in a blue swimming pool, where the water also appears to blend in. (Nikki Scarnati/TikTok @springhill.isr)

Robert concurred that bright colors are key.

He said that better choices are "anything bright, like a bright yellow or red. Reds are easy to see. So, somewhere in that spectrum."

Robert also said that parents and homeowners need to take matters into their own hands when it comes to safety barriers for children.

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"Ideally, it would be a fence with a gate that either has a latch that is higher than a child can reach or some type of enclosure where they have to have help to get access," Robert said.

Water wings and other inflatable flotation devices that go on a child's arms are a hazard that Robert said he warns parents against using, as they create a false sense of security.

"They're not connected, so if a child does have to go underwater, the first thing's that’s going to happen is those are going to slip right off their arms," Robert said.

"They're inexpensive, they look cute and parents tend to buy those, but they're not an approved safety device. We don't allow them at all."

Any flotation device needs to be something that's Coast Guard approved, said Robert.

"Pool time is not just a free break time for mom or dad to sit on the deck and read a book," said Robert, who has 30 years of pool industry experience. "They need to be close to their child all the time."

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"I've seen video coverage of a child being under the water for nine seconds and not surviving," Robert added.

Ben Robert of Baylor University in Texas said pools should have a locked gate or barrier so children cannot gain access to the water unsupervised. (iStock )

It only takes 20 seconds for a child to have a drowning incident and 60 seconds for an adult to suffer from drowning, Scarnati informed her viewers in a subsequent water safety video. 

For children ages 5 to 14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional death, she added.

Water safety barriers are the most important aspect of reducing the risk of drowning, said Scarnati — and she recommends a multi-level approach. 

"The more things you have standing between your child and the water," the better, Scarnati said.

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Pool fences, pool alarms and door locks all are important — but there are other barriers that could also help save lives, Scarnati said.

She named a few other things: "All adults being certified in CPR and first aid covering infants, children and adults. High-quality swim lessons that teach your child how to prioritize their air and their float. And also constant eyes — you want to make sure that there's always a designated adult keeping an eye on the children at one time with no distractions."

Claire Scarnati swims underwater with her mother, swim instructor Nikki Scarnati, nearby. Nikki Scarnati said she advises parents to use layers of protection when it comes to children and water safety. (Nikki Scarnati)

As part of her home training, Scarnati said she's developed a process — a series of questions — that helps provide yet one more barrier to a drowning accident.

"First, [my daughter] has to ask me if she can get her bathing suit on," Scarnati said.

"Then, she has to ask if she can go out to the pool area. That involves me opening the door, and then she has to ask permission to enter the pool."

The mom continued, "So, there are three questions that have to be asked and answered in order for her to get in the pool. Even though she is fully skilled, I want to make sure that she never gets used to being in the water without me."

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Scarnati said establishing safety habits makes a child think before heading to the pool.

"There are three questions that have to be asked and answered in order for her to get in the pool. Even though she is fully skilled, I want to make sure that she never gets used to being in the water without me," Nikki Scarnati said of her daughter Claire, age two. (Nikki Scarnati)

"It's just creating that habit of your child needing you to enter the water," Scarnati said.

"That way, they're less likely to veer toward the pool by themselves. It's absolutely [instilling] daily habits that you can adjust to make your child second-guess [if] they should be near the water alone."

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Drowning is not always fatal, according to the CDC. 

Nonfatal drowning occurs when a person survives a drowning incident but may be left with brain damage or permanent disabilities.

Nikki Scarnati went viral on TikTok after she shared how parents shouldn't buy blue bathing suits for kids. Now, the swim instructor from Florida shared additional water safety tips in an interview with Fox News Digital. (Nikki Scarnati)

For more information about drowning safety, the National Drowning Prevention Alliance offers a video titled, "The Five Layers of Protection," which underscores Scarnati’s multi-level approach. 

The five layers are: barriers, supervision, water competency, life jackets and emergency preparation.

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Scarnati said she was inspired to become an instructor when she had her daughter in August 2020 and discovered a lack of swim instructors in her area.