This browser does not support the Video element.
World's Largest Swimming Lesson
More than 1,200 people drowned across the Tampa Bay region over the past decade, according to state health data. As families spend more time at pools, beaches and lakes this summer, the city of Tampa is joining a worldwide movement to teach a skill experts say can save lives. FOX 13's Matthew McClellan reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - More than 1,200 people drowned across the Tampa Bay region over the past decade, according to state health data. As families spend more time at pools, beaches and lakes this summer, the city of Tampa is joining a worldwide movement to teach a skill experts say can save lives.
On Thursday, children at two Tampa pools will take part in the 17th Annual World's Largest Swimming Lesson, joining participants at hundreds of waterparks, community pools and aquatic facilities across six continents in a synchronized effort to promote water safety and drowning prevention.
Bay Area drowning metrics
By the numbers:
According to Florida Health Charts, 1,209 people drowned across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, Sarasota and Hernando counties over the past decade. Hillsborough County alone recorded 235 unintentional drowning deaths during that period.
Health experts say drowning remains the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 4, making water safety one of the most important conversations families can have before heading to the water.
The city of Tampa will host free swim lessons beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday at:
- Copeland Pool, 11001 N. 15th St.
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Pool, 2200 N. Oregon Ave.
"Every child deserves the chance to learn how to swim. It's more than a skill, it's a lifesaving tool," Louis Campanello, aquatics team supervisor for the city of Tampa Parks & Recreation Department, said. "Events like the World's Largest Swimming Lesson help bring national attention to the critical need for water safety education."
World's Largest Swimming Lesson
Dig deeper:
What started in 2010 as a single-day awareness campaign has grown into one of the world's largest coordinated water safety initiatives.
According to organizers, the World's Largest Swimming Lesson has reached more than 447,000 children and adults through more than 5,000 host facilities in 56 countries, all with the goal of increasing access to swim instruction and reinforcing the message that learning to swim saves lives.
The event is also timed to raise awareness ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, historically one of the deadliest periods of the year for drownings.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 17% of U.S. drowning deaths occur during July, with the highest risk surrounding the Independence Day holiday.
Drowning prevention guidelines
What you can do:
The event is supported locally by Smile Like Aubrey, a nonprofit founded after the drowning death of 16-month-old Aubrey Strojnowski in 2020. The organization advocates for early swim instruction, self-rescue skills and year-round water safety education.
Research cited by the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests formal swim lessons can significantly reduce the risk of drowning among young children. Safety experts emphasize, however, that lessons are only one layer of protection.
Families are encouraged to:
- Maintain constant, distraction-free supervision around water.
- Install four-sided pool fencing with self-closing, self-latching gates.
- Learn CPR before an emergency happens.
- Use properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets when appropriate.
- Never rely on floaties or inflatable toys as safety devices.
The Source: This story is based on information from the city of Tampa, Florida Health Charts, the Florida Department of Health, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Waterpark Association, the World's Largest Swimming Lesson and nonprofit Smile Like Aubrey.