The City of Tampa is joining a global effort to curb childhood drowning by offering free swimming lessons this Thursday, June 25. The event is part of the 17th annual World’s Largest Swimming Lesson, a global drowning-prevention initiative.
Local Impact
Local pools saw a large turnout for the event last year, with over 400 Tampa Bay area children participating. Organizers are looking to match that impact, pointing out that water safety training comes at a vital time given how much summer activity revolves around pools and open water.
Aquatics Team Supervisor Louis Campanello said, ‘The World’s Largest Swim Lesson puts water safety education front and center, especially in communities like ours where drowning remains a leading cause of preventable death. Knowing how to swim is a lifesaver. Every child in Florida should be prepared for water.’
Nationwide, drowning is the number one cause of death for children ages 1 to 4, and it ranks as the second-leading cause of death for children ages 5 to 14. In Florida, Hillsborough County recorded 235 unintentional drowning deaths over a 10-year span from 2013 to 2022.
Lessons and Locations
Thursday’s lessons will be distributed across two city locations: the Copeland Pool at 11001 N 15th St. and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Pool at 2200 N Oregon Ave.
Early education has a documented impact on these numbers. Research published by the American Academy of Pediatrics indicates that the risk of drowning drops by 88% if children participate in formal swimming lessons between the ages of 1 and 4.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
