re: How is it possible that an adult doesn’t know how to swim?

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A number of Navy SEALS from the Midwest U.S. did not learn to swim until they decide to become a SEAL. Not knowing how to swim as a adult is anything but un-common.

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You’re going to have to prove this, because it smells like bullshite.

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I’ll grant you that it’s anecdotal, but I know someone very personally from Illinois who is a SEAL and was not a strong swimmer at all before or after finishing the Naval Academy. He trained his arse off to pass the standards for acceptance and made it all the way through.

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You’d think, but have you ever treaded water with shoes and clothes on?

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I remember the 25m swim in full fatigues we did during EOBC. I was a "strong swimmer" (not swim team level but never got beat across the pool by my friends) and I will never forget when I go to the other side of the pool thinking that was a shite ton harder to do than I expected.

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My parents never taught me when I was really young.

I have never once been able to float. Not on my back, not on my stomach;

I just sink like a rock in all positions.

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Your honest post should be a lesson to parents. Swimming is an important milestone. Unless a child is physically disabled somehow, it is simply irresponsible to not teach them that they can swim.

They do have swimming lessons for infants, they aren’t swimming laps but they can keep their mouth/nose above water.

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there are some people who just sink naturally. It has to do with the volume of you body cavities and muscle density.

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Horses and even elephants can swim.

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Other than boot camp swimming isn't necessary.

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My father couldn't swim. He grew up in N.O. where there weren't a lot of public pools and his father was killed in 1943. Subsequently, he never learned to swim.

Fast forward to Air Force water egress training in 1950. The Instructors had everyone leaping (feet first) off a 3 meter board, swimming a short distance, and then turning to the side of the pool. My dad said, "Everybody else was doing it. I figured I couldn't be the only one who didn't know how to swim." He hit the water in boots and fatigues and never stopped until he hit the bottom of the pool. He said by the time he realized he was drowning, the instructors were fishing him out. When asked what happened, did he panic or what; he told them he couldn't swim. He said the instructors who pulled him out looked at each other with a WTF? look and tried to keep from laughing.

Later, when he had kids, he made sure all of us could swim.

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Your honest post should be a lesson to parents.

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Oh, absolutely. I have a 1 year old and making sure she is safe and comfortable in water is paramount to me.

My parents put in zero effort.

I was at my sister's house in Rye, NY when Sandy hit. It was amazing to me how many people were essentially usless in the situation. Westchester County was about 90% blacked out and there were trees down everywhere. My BIL, who's from SC, were out the next morning with his chainsaw clearing his yard. When we were done, we went to help out some of his neighbors, because that's what you do after a hurricane (or Super Storm).

I can't describe what was more amazing to them:
1) We we're just helping them out, free of charge
2) That my BIL owned a chainsaw
3) That he knew how to use a chainsaw

I will say this: They were all extremely grateful for the help, contrary to stereotype.