Maine moms create HiViz Swimwear to avoid drownings among kids

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MAINE, Maine — When you are driving in the dark or in the middle of the day and you see a worker on the road, that worker tends to be wearing a neon vest. Why? Becaue they stand out! That's the focus of a new line of swimwear recently created by three Maine mothers who want kids to be visible in and around lakes, ponds, rivers, and the ocean.

Mary Estes, Brittany Paul, and Miranda Goodspeed came up with HiViz Swimwear. After a big scare at the beach with her 2-year-old daughter, Estes began searching for the right neon colors to make unisex rash guards that fully stand out.

"Last summer, when my daughter ran off me at the beach and I came home, I started just researching patterns [and] what materials I needed. I borrowed my mother-in-law's regular sewing machine and I just did it," Estes explained.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of death for children 1 to 4 years old.

"I have 3 young kids ... and our biggest fear is losing a kid to drowning or having my kid wander off on me," Paul said.

The high and concerning numbers pushed the mothers to try to tackle the problem.

HiViz Swimwear is all about having high visibility for kids and for parents to have a more relaxing and enjoyable time out in the water with their kids.

"We are very vigilant about the safety of our children. We love the beach, we love the water, but we also have respect for the water," Godspeed said. "And I also know that if for whatever reason I wasn't going to be able to find my children, someone else most definitely would."

Once they go into full production, the plan is to expand and sell swimsuits, trunks, hats, and adult rash guards too.

Because of demand, the ladies have created a Kickstarter campaign where you can pre-purchase a rash guard for your kids. Once they reach their fundraising goal, they'll make and send your your rash guard in a few months.

HIVIZ SWIMWEAR: According to the @CDCgov drowning is the leading cause of death for children. Today on @newscentermaine I’ll explain the efforts of 3 Maine mothers who are making neon rash guards for kids, to keep them visible in and around water. pic.twitter.com/EYVF61ZH11

Estes said the sizes for the rash guards go from 12 months old to 12 years old, but right now they are focusing on making and selling the pieces to the most at-risk ages, which are 12 months to 4 years.

"We feel very strongly about the visibility of neon. It can absolutely provide precious seconds in an event of an emergency. Thirty seconds or less a child can drown," Estes said.

Godspeed said one of the added benefits of the rash guards is they protect kids from the sun.

Last week was so exciting! 🎥 We met with Hannah Yechivi, from NEWS CENTER Maine, to talk all about HiViz swimwear. She...

Extensive testing conducted by Alive Solutions has proven neon colors are the most visible when submerged, while other colors disappear in the water.

Here are some of the other testing results from Alive Solutions.

A post shared by HiViz Swimwear (@hivizswim)

Right now, HiViz has a special promotion going on with their rash guards for kids, all in an effort to fulfill their Kickstarter campaign goal. They are pre-selling the rash guards for anyone interested: $25 for kids and $45 for adults.

If you would like to pre-purchase a rash guard for your kids, click here.

Click here for details more details on HiViz Swimwear.

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