Columbia parks offering free water safety courses

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — People throughout South Carolina are looking for any way to beat the heat, and Columbia officials want to make sure they do it safely.

Registration opens Monday for free water safety courses being offered by the city’s parks and recreation department.

The sessions happen in August and will be held at several locations around the city. Organizers say they originally started the water safety survival program to prevent drowning among youth in Columbia but have since expanded the instruction to adults.

The American Red Cross is partnering with Colonial Life Insurance to provide CPR instructions and distribute information about its services.