About Us
About Us
Saving lives, one beach at a time.
An estimated 70% of current-related drowning incidents on the Great Lakes occur in “red flag” conditions. We believe that even one life lost is one too many.
105
Great Lakes drownings in 2022
—GLSRP
~1,000
US children drown annually
—CDC
2,500
Great Lakes rescues annually
—USCG
Our mission
SwimSmart aims to enhance beach safety through smart and connected beachfront technologies that can assist lifeguards, beach managers, and first responders in their efforts towards the greater goal of ending drownings in our communities. SwimSmart accomplishes this by:
- Automatically adapting to local weather forecast
- Allowing lifeguards to stay focused on water
- Clearly communicating through intuitive light system
- Providing real-time weather data
According to the Center for Disease Control, “among those [ages] 1-14, fatal drowning remains the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death behind motor vehicle crashes.”
When it comes to beach safety, most communities are reactionary—they do not allocate funds until after a traumatic drowning incident. Beach safety standards are different between states and even at the county level there is little to no uniformity. After a drowning tragedy, substantial search and rescue, litigation, and public relations costs can quickly eliminate any form of savings which can ultimately throttle the underlying economy. Until now there existed very few solutions to curbing drownings.
SwimSmart cannot promise an end to drowning, but we are determined to make a discernible impact.
The Team
Jacob Soter
Founder
Dr. Andrew Barnard
Co-Founder
We envision a world where SwimSmart warning systems and NOAA’s databases update the instant weather conditions change – in real time.
SwimSmart is proud to be recognized as a Weather Ready Nation Ambassador (WRN) to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Our mission is to work with partners such as NOAA to continuously improve our swim risk forecasting capabilities. Since the SwimSmart Warning Systems are linked to NOAA’s databases it is important for us to make these forecasts as accurate as possible.
SwimSmart’s ultimate goal is to make a discernible impact on drowning reduction in any way we can.
SwimSmart partners with the Great Lakes Water Safety Consortium (GLWSC), who has supported our efforts since our launch. The GLWSC is the nonprofit community connecting and serving safety experts & water enthusiasts, educating the public on safer ways to enjoy the water, and encouraging leaders to take steps to make their beaches safer, including innovations like ours.
SwimSmart encourages all Great Lakes communities, residents, and visitors to join the GLWSC. By working together, we are far more effective in improving the safety of our beaches. If your organization is interested in partnering with SwimSmart please contact support@swimsmarttech.com.
