In October of 2007, my father sent me a video of the toddler, in the blue cotton
jumper, that falls into the water, turns to float, and maintains his float for five
minutes, fully clothed. I was absolutely amazed that a 14-month-old child could save
himself from drowning, in regular clothes, a real-life situation. Having a backyard
pond and a 2-year-old that couldn't swim led me directly to a child self-rescue
website. At the time, I noticed there were no self-rescue instructors in Michigan and
the nearest Instructor was three hours away. I came to the realization that I would
not be able to enroll my 2-year-old daughter, Merlot, into the aquatic survival lesson
due to the distance. Seeing a need for this important program in Michigan, I began
to research becoming a self-rescue instructor. In April of 2008, I became the first
Certified ISR Instructor in Michigan.
During my drowning prevention journey since I started in 2008, I’ve learned that
drowning is the leading cause of death for children under the age of five. I’ve also
learned that most drownings are preventable by empowering the child to know what
to do if they reach the water alone. Self-rescue skills, taught to a child by a trained
aquatics behavioral specialist, save lives!
In May 2012, I became a Master Instructor. This allowed me to teach other
instructors thus reaching more children. I have trained over 50 instructors and over
2,000 children. In 2023 I founded O 2 Swim, LLC in Colorado. My passion is
mentoring new Instructors to become better, sooner and teaching your child how to
be safe in and around the water.
In December of 2023, I started O 2 Swim, LLC to better accommodate families with
their schedule and to teach others to become self-rescue instructors.
Meet Michael Petrella
Our number one priority when teaching your child to Self-Rescue is your child's
safety. From the registration process, to the one-on-one private lessons we provide,
to scheduling follow-up lessons, we want to ensure your child is in a safe and
effective learning environment. Lessons with O 2 Swim, LLC are three to four days a
week, for just 10 to 15 minutes a day depending on your child's age and current skill
level. All students learn the Turn to Float technique. When your child is ready,
usually between two and three years old, they will learn a swim and float technique.
O2 Swim uses a Behavioral Science approach to teach babies and toddlers to swim and float. With an understanding of Sensori- Motor Learning and Child Behavioral Psychology, we can teach children to be safe in the water in as little as 2 1/2 hours.
See Michael's presentation in October