Elizabeth Christensen loves the water. She swims up to three times a day, loves doing laps and diving in the deep end – and she’s only 16 months old.
Adam Christensen, Elizabeth’s father, posted a video of the Texas toddler swimming alone in a pool in August last year, but it recently went viral. Without any flotation devices, the toddler paddles using her arms and legs across the length of the pool. Along the way she rolls from her stomach to her back for air. Her parents are heard in the background shouting words of encouragement.
“Go go go go! You can do it,” Elizabeth’s mother yells. “I can’t believe she made it across the pool.”
![, Elizabeth Christensen Swims Pool Length On Camera [VIDEO] By Zoe Mintz on July 01 2013 3:08 PM 336 6 0 more Elizabeth Christensen loves the water. She swims up to three times a day, loves doing laps and diving in the deep end – and she’s only 16 months old. Adam Christensen, Elizabeth’s father, posted a video of the Texas toddler swimming alone in a pool in August last year, but it recently went viral. Without any flotation devices, the toddler paddles using her arms and legs across the length of the pool. Along the way she rolls from her stomach to her back for air. Her parents are heard in the background shouting words of encouragement. “Go go go go! You can do it,” Elizabeth’s mother yells. “I can’t believe she made it across the pool.” The video has sparked controversy. No one is in the pool with the toddler and lifeguards aren’t seen on camera. But Adam, spoke to the media to explain and defend the clip. “We didn’t teach her ourselves; we wanted a professional, somebody that was certified to do that. But we are still able to recognize warning signs. As you can see in the video, she’s not coughing or choking. She’s gasping, but that’s normal,” he told CNN. baby2 In a YouTube video that has garnered more than 890,000 hits, a 16-month-old toddler is seen swimming the length of a pool alone. YouTube In the description for the YouTube video, Christensen notes that he is a registered nurse and his wife is a former lifeguard. Their daughter was trained with an ISR (infant swimming resource) instructor that teaches children under four how to survive if they accidentally fall into a body of water. “Sometimes the difference between life and death can be six inches of water and their ability to flip over on their back and take a breath,” Christensen writes in the YouTube description that urges other parents to teach their babies how to swim. In a 2012 report, the U.S. Center for Disease Control said unintentional drowning was the leading cause of death in children between the ages of 1 and 4, HealthDay reports. Despite Christensen’s confidence in his daughter’s swimming abilities, he had his doubts. "When I first watched her in there, every time she went face down I was like, 'Oh, my goodness, she can't breathe.' I was just worried to death, but the instructor assured us that she was just fine," he said. Zoe Mintz Zoe Mintz Twitter Google Plus RSS Originally from Montreal, Zoë Mintz joined IBTimes in March 2013. A graduate from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, her writing has... Continue Reading More from Zoe Mintz more articles Underwater Volcanic Range Discovered Off Norway Bear Steals Dumpster Twice From Colorado Restaurant Dead Shark Dumped At Nantucket Pub A Piece Of Jesus’ Cross Found In Turkey? Popular multimedia more MUST SEE: Outrageous Break-Up Letter/Craigslist Ad [VIDEO] MUST SEE: Outrageous Break-Up Letter/Craigslist Ad [VIDEO] Jennifer Aniston's Stripper Diet Secret! [VIDEO] Jennifer Aniston's Stripper Diet Secret! [VIDEO] WATCH: Jimmy Fallon Plays Robin Thicke's 'Blurred Lines' With Kids' Instruments WATCH: Jimmy Fallon Plays Robin Thicke's 'Blurred Lines' With Kids' Instruments Motorola Moto X: Is It the 'Anti-iPhone'? [VIDEO] Motorola Moto X: Is It the 'Anti-iPhone'? [VIDEO] More news from Media & Culture Robin Thicke Performs 'Blurred Lines' On 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon' Using Classroom Instruments Movies, TV Commercials Boost Viacom's Q3 Profit 24% Move Over Michelle Obama? China's First Lady Peng Liyuan's Star Power Rises Wallet Lost At Sea 24 Years Ago Is Returned To Owner By Stranger What Will Happen To Kidd Kraddick In The Morning Show? Gannett Confirms Newspaper Layoffs, But Won’t Say How Many Dying 2-Year-Old To Serve As Best Man At Parents' Wedding Woman On First Date, Jennifer Rosoff, Falls Off Balcony Of NYC Apartment While Smoking [PHOTOS] Bear Steals Dumpster Twice From Colorado Restaurant More News from IBT MEDIA âBreaking Badâ Season 5 Part 2 Spoilers: Comic-Con 2013 Hints To Fate Of... iDigital Times From Worst to First: Evaluating the 2013 Prospects of 2012 Cellar-Dwellers iSports Times Cities Safer Than Small Towns: Deaths From Accidents 40 Percent Higher... iScience Times Anthony Weiner Sexting Pics Shocking Or Expected? Huma Abedin Comments,... iDesign Times MERS May Have Originated In South African Bats, According To New Genetic Study Medical Daily Anthony Weiner Photobombed At Press Conference bizu.tv Mexican Hot Sauces Found To Contain Lead In High Levels; Which Brands Should... Latin Times In Case You Missed NSA Surveillance Scandal: All Personal Records Are Relevant Is A Slippery Legal Theory To Stand On Politics The Legal Theory Congress And The Intelligence Community Are Fighting Over Financials Resuming Lead Among S&P 500 Sectors From Technology After Big Q2 Profits Top Expectations Companies S&P 500 Points To Resurgence Of Financial Sector China's Economic Hard Landing: Think Twice Before Gloating Over China’s Slowdown Economy Think Twice Before Gloating Over A Chinese Economic Slowdown Science Falls Short Of Science Fiction, Or: Still A Long Way To Go Before ‘Total Recall’ Tech / Sci Science Vs Science Fiction: Reality Still Has A Long Way To Go Most Popular in Media & Culture How Hot Is China's Heatwave? Hot Enough To Fry Bacon May Pays $500,000 Insurance Ruling With Quarters Pat Robertson: There's 'No Sin' In Being Transgender One Lucky Small Business Will Get In On The Big Game With Sponsored Super Bowl Ad 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' Reveals Its Robotic Villains, The Sentinels 'The X Factor' Lowers Prize Money From $5 Million To $1 Million, Fires Brittany Spears Move Over Michelle Obama? China's First Lady Peng Liyuan's Star Power Rises Daily Finance Feed Royal Riches: What the Monarchy Costs Great Britain Market Minute: Starbucks Milks Yogurt Deal; Apple Earnings Shine These Companies Do Work-Life Balance Right Closing Bell: Tech Stocks End Lower on Mixed Earnings News The Royal Baby By the Numbers More from IBT MEDIA âBreaking Badâ Season 5 Part 2 Spoilers: Comic-Con... iDigital Times âBreaking Badâ Season 5 Part 2 Spoilers: Comic-Con 2013 Hints To Fate Of Walter White And Jesse In Final Episodes [REPORT] From Worst to First: Evaluating the 2013 Prospects of... iSports Times From Worst to First: Evaluating the 2013 Prospects of 2012 Cellar-Dwellers Cities Safer Than Small Towns: Deaths From Accidents 40... iScience Times Cities Safer Than Small Towns: Deaths From Accidents 40 Percent Higher Outside Urban Landscape, Says Study [REPORT] Most Read Most Shared 1. Some Volcano Eruptions Fueled By Fast-Rising Magma 2. Earnings To Watch: LinkedIn, AIG, Kraft [VIDEO] 3. North Korean Defector, Disappointed By South, Wants To Go Back 4. Explicit Anthony Weiner Photos Hit Web 5. Snowden Reveals New NSA Program 6. Philippines Says US Providing Intel On China Naval Activities 7. Bioenergy Company Produces Fuel And Electricity From Waste 8. Gay Athletes And Tourists Will Face Arrest At Sochi Olympics: Russian Lawmaker 9. Military-Backed Myanmar Telecom To Compete Against Ooredoo, Telenor 10. US And Myanmar To Up Military Engagement Ads by Google Swim Instructor Training conquerfear.com/swim_instructor_training 100% Success With Students Who Are Afraid in Water. Full Training. Swimming Pool/SPA Pumps www.ht-poolspa.com Good Quality & Best Price Made in China Follow Us Share on google_follow Share on linkedin IBTimes Newsletters Sign up for our FREE email newsletters View Sample](https://i0.wp.com/www.moroccoenglish.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/16-baby-swimming-alone.jpg)
The video has sparked controversy. No one is in the pool with the toddler and lifeguards aren’t seen on camera. But Adam, spoke to the media to explain and defend the clip.
“We didn’t teach her ourselves; we wanted a professional, somebody that was certified to do that. But we are still able to recognize warning signs. As you can see in the video, she’s not coughing or choking. She’s gasping, but that’s normal,” he told CNN.
In the description for the YouTube video, Christensen notes that he is a registered nurse and his wife is a former lifeguard. Their daughter was trained with an ISR (infant swimming resource) instructor that teaches children under four how to survive if they accidentally fall into a body of water.
“Sometimes the difference between life and death can be six inches of water and their ability to flip over on their back and take a breath,” Christensen writes in the YouTube description that urges other parents to teach their babies how to swim. In a 2012 report, the U.S. Center for Disease Control said unintentional drowning was the leading cause of death in children between the ages of 1 and 4, HealthDay reports.
Despite Christensen’s confidence in his daughter’s swimming abilities, he had his doubts.
"When I first watched her in there, every time she went face down I was like, 'Oh, my goodness, she can't breathe.' I was just worried to death, but the instructor assured us that she was just fine," he said.
ibtimes
