The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson

June 13, 2011 at 6:05 pm
By Marianne Magno

Last year's participants learn how to swim while breaking a world record.

One of the things we’re looking forward to this summer is taking a swim at the beach or local pool. And while going in the water can be fun, it can also be dangerous if you don’t know how to swim.

A few facts about the importance of staying safe in the water:

• Drowning is the sixth leading cause of unintentional injury death for people of all ages, and the second leading cause of death for children ages one to 14 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Research shows that if a child doesn’t learn to swim before the third grade, they likely never will.
• Nonfatal drownings can cause injuries and  brain damage that may result in long-term disabilities.

To increase awareness about water safety, Coppertone has organized The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson for tomorrow at 11 a.m. ET. If you’re in Walt Disney World (lucky you!), head over to Typhoon Lagoon so your kids can get swimming lessons from Olympic medalists Rowdy Gaines and Summer Sanders and set a new Guiness World Record. Non-Floridians can still get in on the action by visiting the event website to find one of the 600 locations that’s also a part of this international event. What a cool way to be a part of the history books and learn an important skill!