The family of Israel “Izzy” Scott were devastated to lose their beloved four-year-old child in a swimming accident almost two years ago; and Izzy’s tragic death has led them to work to prevent unnecessary deaths through drowning.
The Izzy Scott Foundation is partnering with the Kroc Center to provide safe and free swimming lessons.
“We thought we were doing the right and responsible thing as parents by getting Izzy swim lessons. We went with private lessons because the big centers that offer lessons get booked up almost immediately,” Walter Scott, Izzy’s father said.
Izzy began his private swim lesson shortly after the family returned from a vacation in Cozumel in June of 2022. The child slipped into the deep end of a pool undetected and drowned as other children were drying off after a swimming lesson on June 14, 2022.
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The swim instructor who was in charge of the swim lessons, Lexie Tenhuisen, was later charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Scott says that the community’s love and outreach in the wake of Izzy’s death gave him and his wife the impetus to turn their grief into action.
“We are not wealthy by any means, but we were able to handle paying for Izzy’s homegoing expenses, and people kept sending in donations, and we felt that money should go back into the community, and that is when we created the foundation,” Scott said.
The first order of business for the Izzy Scott Foundation was to lobby state government officials to enact legislation that places safety regulations on private swim instructors, much like for those that offer private day care services.
Prior to 2001, private daycares were not required to have any form of safety protocols or insurance in place. That same year, fourteen-month-old Anthony DeJuan Boatwright was left unattended and nearly drowned in a mop bucket.
Boatright was left brain damaged and died from his injuries 11 years later, and his story led to an overhaul of Georgia’s laws regarding daycares.
“Izzy’s Law,” which was signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp and went into effect in January, does not go as far as “Juan’s Law,” which was adopted in 2004; but the law requires private swim instructors to have a written and posted aquatic safety action plan.
Lead sponsor Sen. Max Burns, R-Sylvania, said he worked closely with the family of Izzy in crafting the legislation.
“Izzy’s Law would ensure that our children are protected during swim instruction through creating widely accessible safety plans for aquatic activities,” he said.
Now that the law is in place, Scott has turned his attention to even more prevention by offering free swim classes.
The details of the partnership between the Izzy Scott Foundation, the Kroc Center and other vendors will be made public at a press conference on April 1 at the Kroc Center.
Randall Collins, Kroc Director of Operations, expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “Ensuring that people of all ages have the knowledge to enjoy the water safely is paramount to us. We believe everyone should have the opportunity for a safe and enjoyable time in and around the water.”
According to Scott, the immediate goal is to offer 100 free lessons this year to both children and adults.
“Everyone needs to know how to swim and they need to be able to learn in a safe environment,” Scott said.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
