“Most drownings we hear about can be prevented,” Jonathan St. Clair shared with WFAA, reflecting on the tragic loss of his son, who drowned in 2014.
DALLAS — This Saturday’s showdown between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, promises a unique spectacle. Among the excitement, a man from California, clad in a nautical life vest, will vie for the crowd’s attention. Anticipate a call for unity around the sixth inning when he encourages the stadium to join him in ‘the wave.’
This isn’t just any wave; it’s a movement of education and hope, dedicated to the memory of Jasper St. Clair, who tragically drowned as a toddler in 2014.
Driven by a mission, St. Clair is on an ambitious journey to visit all 30 Major League Baseball parks within 30 days. The upcoming Saturday evening marks his ninth stop on this heartfelt tour.
“Each drowning we hear about is a reminder that most are preventable,” he emphasized to WFAA.
Jasper was nearly 2 years old when he wandered into an unfenced swimming pool after he was left unattended by a teenage babysitter.
“He was resuscitated at the hospital, but he had been down for over 50 minutes,” St. Clair recalled of the tragedy that unfolded in Orange, California. “We knew that the damage had been done.”
Jasper died on March 26, seven days after the drowning incident. His organs were donated and saved several lives. But in the years that followed, St. Clair hatched a cross-country idea as he tried to make sense of his son’s passing.
Jasper died a few weeks before baseball season’s opening day. St. Clair and his young son had already attended several games together. That inspired St. Clair to come up with “The Wave Maker Tour for Drowning Prevention,” which kicked off this month.
St. Clair is visiting every MLB park and partnering with every MLB team while wearing a life vest to lead the crowd in the wave. He’s hoping it will start conversations about personal flotation device, swim lessons and pool safety.
“When somebody drowns, it doesn’t just affect that person. It affects everyone around them, too — and the extended family,” St. Clair said.
The message resonates with the family of Connor Gage of North Richland Hills, Texas.
Gage was 15 years old when he drowned in 2012 at Possum Kingdom Lake. Gage jumped from the roof of a boat dock and was knocked unconscious when he fell into the water. He was not wearing a life jacket at the time and drowned.
His family’s nonprofit, The LV Project, is partnering with Jonathan St. Clair and will join him at the Rangers game to help spread their message of drowning prevention.
“I really think that we will get to a place where we are not seeing as many people drown because we’re using our voices,” Connor’s mom, Dana Gage, said. “An average of one Texan dies per day by drowning. I really think this is going to be the first of many Wave Maker tours to come. I think Jonathan is really kicking off a movement here, and we’re happy to be a part of it.”
St. Clair said he’s hoping that his campaign will help turn the tide when it comes to educating others about water safety at the end of the 30-day, 30-game tour. Dana Gage is hoping for the same.
“I think it’s pretty impressive when you see a guy that’s just so committed to a cause and to creating change that he’s literally willing to do anything to get attention, to make sure that his story doesn’t become your story,” Gage said. “We draw strength from one another. We believe and support each other’s missions, and we work together constantly just to combine and unify our message because we think the more the more of us who speak as one, the more powerful our message becomes.”
You can learn more about the work of The LV Project here. The mission of the Wave Maker Tour includes raising $662,000 in 30 days to support drowning prevention efforts across the United States. That number represents $1,000 for each of the 662 days Jasper St. Clair was alive.