World's Largest Swimming Lesson Teaches Vital Water Safety Skills in 22 Countries

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Jun 27, 2025, 08:32 ET

Global Event Empowers Communities with Tools to Prevent Childhood Drowning

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., June 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- From floating techniques to finding the nearest exit, children around the world learned critical water safety skills today during the 16^th Annual World's Largest Swimming Lesson™. The global, 24-hour event mobilized participants in 22 countries and 46 U.S. States – from Doha, Qatar to Dallas, Texas – with one shared mission: to help prevent childhood drowning through water safety education.

Young swimmers practice kicking during the World's Largest Swimming Lesson at Rock River Rapids Aquatic Park in Derby, Kansas. The event teaches children key water safety skills to help prevent childhood drowning, the leading cause of death for kids ages 1-4 in the United States.

An instructor teaches a young swimmer how to streamline during the 16th Annual World's Largest Swimming Lesson at Euless Family Life Aquatic Park in Euless, Texas. More than 55 facilities in Texas participated in the global event, joining waterparks, community pools and swim schools in 22 countries and 46 states for the water safety event.

Drowning remains the third leading cause of unintentional injury-related death worldwide and the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 in the United States. In the U.S., July is consistently the deadliest month for drowning incidents, accounting for nearly 17% of all annual drowning deaths.

"As we head into the month of July, more families will be spending time in and around the water," said Rick Root, president of the World Waterpark Association, the organization that coordinates the annual event. "Whether they're visiting a lake, waterpark or a backyard pool, it's vital kids and parents understand the proper precautions to take. Teaching every child basic swimming and water safety skills is a powerful step toward that goal."

The 24-hour event brought together a diverse group of host locations – including waterparks, swim schools, public pools, and open-water beaches – to deliver hands-on swimming and water safety education under the banner "Swimming Lessons Save Lives."

Disney's Typhoon Lagoon welcomed 1,000 students from seven different Florida-based non-profits to host the largest single event. "Hosting an event like this gives our cast members the chance to not only connect with kids in our community, but to share something they're knowledgeable and passionate about," said Tajiana Ancora-Brown, Director of External Affairs at Disney World. "Helping kids pair that skills-based learning with the fun of our waterparks, creates memories and moments that will stick with them forever."

ABOUT THE WORLD'S LARGEST SWIMMING LESSON™:
Launched in 2010 by the World Waterpark Association, WLSL has served more than 413,000 participants across 54 countries. The initiative brings together community organizations, aquatic centers and educators to deliver water safety instruction and raise awareness about drowning prevention.

HASHTAGS: #WLSL #SwimmingLessonsSaveLives #WaterSafety #DrowningIsPreventable

For more information or interview requests with event organizer or water safety/drowning prevention experts, please contact: Beth Root, 397339@email4pr.com

B-ROLL of today's World's Largest Swimming Lesson™ can be found HERE.

A directory of aquatic facilities that participated in the 2025 WLSL can be found HERE.

Contact: Beth Root
397339@email4pr.com
Phone: 913-544-5734

SOURCE World's Largest Swimming Lesson