In April, the life of a Syrian teenage refugee, who was unfamiliar with the ocean, was claimed by a rip current at Mission Beach. 
On April 12, 17-year-old Mohammed al-Mustafa, a budding photographer who liked soccer but couldn’t swim, pleaded for permission to join friends on his first trip to the beach. He promised his mother he wouldn’t go in the water.
Mohammed was adjusting to a new life as a refugee in the United States after fleeing war-torn Syria with his parents and four sisters. He was believed to have been knocked down in knee-deep ocean water, then was overcome by strong rip currents. Rescue workers, with the aid of helicopters, searched for the boy unsuccessfully over three days. He was presumed to have drowned.
Fast forward two months later, and San Diego-based Sunsational Swim School, in conjunction with nonprofit Out Of The Boat Swim, has initiated a program – and launched an online petition drive – to guard against a similar tragedy happening.
Drowning is the No. 1 leading cause of death for children under the age of 5. 
Founded in 2009, Sunsational Swim School is a national provider of private swim instruction at client-selected homes and community pools. The swim school has teamed with nonprofit Out Of The Boat to help tame ocean waves for the uninitiated.
Out of the Boat Swim, since 2004, has provided free water-safety and beach programs to refugee and underprivileged children living in San Diego to help them during a challenging time of transition.
“Out of the Boat Swim volunteers use their own vehicles to transport about 40 kids to and from the events on each activity day,” said Isabella Ames of Sunsational, who added, “The nonprofit is seeking donations to purchase a 12-passenger van to reach more children.”
As of June 26, $3,000 of a targeted $8,000 had been raised at www.youcaring.com/outoftheboatswim-820390, to buy a passenger van.
Noting requests for Out of the Boat Swim’s services now exceed their capacity, Ames pointed out Sunsational has agreed to match all donations for Out Of The Boat up to $4,000 until July 1.
Swim training for refugees and the underprivileged in the Out Of The Boat program takes place initially in private pools because of “the high influx of refugees” coming to San Diego, said Chris Monte, Out Of The Boat’s marketing coordinator.
“Our swim program helps new families adjusting to San Diego and a new culture,” said Monte noting, “It makes them feel more welcome during the integration process.”
Once refugees are trained in private pools, the venue switches to the ocean where junior lifeguards participate in swim training from July 24 to Aug. 18. A training beach day will be held Saturday, Aug. 12 at Mission Beach.
Some of those refugee and underprivileged children served by Out Of The Boat will go on to become junior guards in the San Diego Junior Lifeguard program via a partnership between Out of the Boat Swim and San Diego Junior Lifeguards. Out Of The Boat Contact: 619-988-0319
[email protected]
www.outoftheboatswim.org Sunsational Swim School Contact: 888-538-3664 
[email protected]
www.sunsationalswimschool.com