Some embodiments include a method for identifying, by an electronic water safety system, distressed swimmers in a body of water. The method can include capturing, by a video capture device, video frames of the body of water. The method can include identifying, by the video capture device, a color-code in the video frames. The method can include determining, by the video capture device, a location of the color-code in each of the video frames. The method can include determining, by a movement controller, movement of the color-code in the video frames based on the location of the color-code in each of the video frames. The method can include determining that the swimmer is in distress based on the movement of the color-code in the video frames. The method can include alerting, by an alert controller, water safety personnel about the swimmer in distress.