Mom’s Viral Warning: The Swimsuit Color That Can Make Kids Disappear Underwater
As summer heats up and families flock to beaches and backyard pools, one Florida mom is urging parents to think twice before dressing their kids in a certain swimsuit color — a choice that could make them nearly invisible when seconds matter most.
Nikki Scarnati, 32, a mother of two and certified swim instructor from Spring Hill, Florida, recently posted a now-viral TikTok video demonstrating how light blue swimwear can blend almost perfectly into the water.
In the clip, her 2-year-old daughter Claire can be seen paddling in a calm, sunlit pool wearing a pale blue bathing suit — and the effect is startling.
“Look at how hard it is to spot her under the water — and this is without other kids splashing around,” Scarnati says in the video. “The color just disappears into the background. Please, don’t buy a blue swimsuit.”
A Lesson Passed Down
Scarnati says she learned the importance of swimsuit color from her own mom, who dressed her and her siblings in bright, easy-to-spot colors. But after years of teaching infants and young children to swim, she realized the tip wasn’t as common as she assumed.
“In the swim instruction world, most of us know that blue swimwear is a problem — in both pools and open water,” she told Good Morning America. “But it’s not widely talked about outside the industry, and blue is still one of the most common colors for kids’ swimsuits.”
Why Color Matters in Water Safety
Experts agree that high-visibility clothing can make a critical difference in an emergency.
Adam Katchmarchi, executive director of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, told ABC that bright, high-contrast colors make swimmers easier to spot — whether in a clear pool or murky lake water.
“When someone goes under, water distortion can make it hard to detect them right away,” he explained. “Wearing neon yellow, orange, or hot pink gives the highest contrast and improves visibility.”
The Grim Statistics
According to 2024 CDC data, drowning is the leading cause of death for children under 4 in the U.S. and the second-leading cause for children ages 5 to 12. Scarnati hopes her post — which has already racked up over 6.5 million views — can help lower those numbers.
“If sharing this helps even one parent choose a more visible swimsuit and prevent a tragedy, then I’ve done my job,” she said.
Bottom line: For safer swimming, experts say to avoid blues and instead choose neon, fluorescent, or other high-contrast colors — and always keep kids within arm’s reach when they’re in or near the water.