MICHAEL PETRELLA

My ISR Story:

In October of 2007, my father sent me a video of the toddler, in the blue cotton jumper, that falls into the water, rolls back 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 located in Toledo, OH. 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 three-hour drive each way. 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 of 2012, I became a Master Instructor with ISR. This allowed me to teach other instructors thus reaching more children. I have trained over 30 instructors and over 2,000 children. In January of 2016, I trained my first two Team Instructors and have had five Team Instructors over the years to work in the Grand Rapids, MI area and two more to work in the Los Angeles, CA area to reach more young lives before they reach the water alone. My passion is to help new self-rescue instructors improve their in-water teaching ability.  

About Me: