Join Splash! lifeguards and swimmers from around the world in the 2019 World’s Largest Swimming Lesson Guinness World Record at Splash! La Mirada Aquatics Center on Thursday, June 20th at 9 a.m. This free event sends a vital message that Swimming Lessons Save Lives. People all around the globe will unite to break the 2018 record of people swimming simultaneously
This annual event serves as a platform to build awareness about the fundamental importance of teaching children to swim to prevent drowning. Swimming is a life-saving skill for children and a vital tool to prevent drowning, the second leading cause of unintended, injury-related death for U.S. children ages 1-14. Research shows:
- The problem is life-threatening for children: Per the CDC, drowning remains the leading cause of injury-related death for. children ages 1-4, and the second leading cause for children under 14. Internationally, the World Health Organization estimates drowning is one of the top five causes of death for people aged 1-14 in 48 of the 85 countries it monitors.
- Many lack basic swimming skills: In 2014, a survey completed by the American Red Cross found more than half of all Americans (54 percent) either can’t swim or don’t have all of the basic swimming skills. Research shows risk of drowning can be reduced by 88% if children participate in formal swimming lessons between ages 1-4. Source: Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine 2009
- Parents don’t recognize supervision is key: According to a 2016 Safe Kids Worldwide report, despite the fact that lack of supervision played a role in the majority of drowning deaths, less than half of parents (49 percent) indicate they remain within arms’ reach of their child in the water.
This year TEAM WLSL™ will celebrate its 10th anniversary of sharing the message Swimming Lesson Save Lives™ with millions of kids and adults. Local WLSL events will take place at hundreds of locations in more than 20 countries on five continents over the course of 24 hours.
The results from the 2018 WLSL event were amazing. Last year, 41,814 kids and adults participated in WLSL events in 27 countries generating more than a BILLION media impressions. Aquatic facilities, from Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Galveston, Texas to swim schools in India, to locations in Jamaica, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, the UAE, and South Korea, all taught the same swimming lesson with one goal in mind — send the message Swimming Lesson Save Lives™.
What parents need to know about drowning risk:
- Drowning is silent and can happen in seconds.
- Enroll your kids in swimming lessons; learning to swim is the strongest defense against drowning.
- Never leave kids alone in or around water, not even for a second. Put the cell phone away and give young children 100 percent of your attention when they are near or around water.
- Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone.
- There is always a risk associated with being in, on and around the water. But, loss of life from drowning CAN and SHOULD be prevented and we have the power to make that happen.
- Being safe in and around the water requires more than just swimming lessons. It requires constant, careful supervision of children, appropriate fencing and safety equipment, protection from hazards, knowing what to do in an emergency, including CPR, and an understanding that safety is a personal responsibility.
- Learning to swim and the exposure to water safety skills and messages that swimming lessons offer provide a lifelong foundation for drowning prevention.
Pre-register today at Splash! or online at splashlamirada.com.
Source: City of La Mirada