World's Largest Swimming Lesson News General, News Parks and Recreation The City of Tampa's Parks and Recreation Department is offering free swimming lessons today as part of[...]

The City of Tampa's Parks and Recreation Department is offering free swimming lessons today as part of the 17th annual World's Largest Swimming Lesson.

Lessons will take place at two City of Tampa pools beginning at 10:00 A.M. Last year, more than 400 Tampa Bay area children took swimming lessons at this event. And with all the activity in and around pools and bodies of water, the lessons come at a vital time.

The World's Largest Swimming Lesson is a global drowning-prevention event launched by the World Waterpark Association in 2010.
"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," Aquatics Team Supervisor Louis Campanello said. "Knowing how to swim is a lifesaver. Every child in Florida should be prepared for water."

Swimming is a life-saving skill for children and a vital tool to prevent drowning, the No. 1 cause of death for United States children ages 1-4, and second-leading cause for ages 5-14.

From 2013-22, there were 235 unintentional drowning deaths in Hillsborough County. In that same 10-year span, there were 4,244 unintentional downing deaths statewide (data from www.flhealthcharts.gov).

The World's Largest Swimming Lesson is taking place at two City of Tampa pools:

• Copeland Pool, 11001 N 15th St. (media site)
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Pool, 2200 N Oregon Ave.

Research from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows risk of drowning can be reduced by 88% if children participate in formal swimming lessons between the ages of 1-4. But a survey conducted by the American Red Cross in 2020 found that 56% of Americans either can't swim or don't have the necessary basic swimming skills.