Duck Video Teaches Water Safety

NEW YORK (AP), June 9, 2003 – Kim and Stew Leonard Jr. have turned a personal tragedy into a personal mission to prevent childhood drownings.

Their son was 21 months old when he drowned in a pool during a family vacation in 1989; in 1990, the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation was created to help promote water safety awareness.

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This summer, the foundation releases a video as a companion to last year's book "Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim," which was written by the Leonards.

Both versions of "Stewie" are aimed at teaching 2- to 6-year-olds how to be safe near the water. The young duck isn't allowed to go into the pool until he learns the three main rules of water safety: learn to swim, always wear a life vest and have an adult watch you.

Citing statistics from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Leonards remind parents that about 350 children under 5 drown in pools each year nationwide, and more than half of these accidents occur in June, July and August. Drowning can happen in the time it takes to answer the phone.

"Surprisingly, there is little information about water safety that is geared to children under 5 years old. We thought that if we created a lovable character like 'Stewie the Duck,' we could teach children about water safety in a fun way," Stew Leonard Jr. said in a statement.

Leonard is the president and CEO of Connecticut-based Stew Leonard's grocery stores.

Proceeds from the sale of the $7.95 video go to various water-safety charities, including local YMCAs and Swim America, a national learn-to-swim program. The book and video are available at Stew Leonard's retail stores and Web site, and through the Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble