2026 edition – June 25
locations worldwide!
Since 2010, “Team WLSL” from the aquatics industry has produced a worldwide day of swimming lessons. Taking place 2026 June 25, many local host locations including waterparks and other aquatic facilities will have learn-to-swim and water safety skills events. Tens of thousands of people will participate around the world. Look for an event near you.
Find a local event
Swimming lessons save lives.
The World Health Organization lists drowning as one of the top five causes of death for people age 1 to 14 in 48 of the 85 countries it monitors.
For young children, a capable supervisor (not just the facility lifeguard) must be nearby and paying attention to the child. Make sure the facility has lifesaving equipment and someone with CPR skills. Ensure pools are secured from trespassing when unattended. Drowning can happen in under a minute.
Looking back on my analysis of a year of amusement industry guest accidents reported in news media, about 1/3 of them were in aquatics facilities. In North America, the reports involving aquatic facilities were more than fixed site amusement parks and mobile rides (carnivals) combined. (This predominance is partially due to reporters’ use of the term “waterpark” for a wider range of aquatic facilities that included hotel pools/slides and public “swimming holes”. Reporters might call a carnival an “amusement park”, but they do not typically mistake a coin-operated horse outside the grocery store or a racecar simulator in an arcade as amusement parks.)
Of the “waterpark” cases, over 40% involved submersion that was unintended or prolonged. The remainder were injuries of other kinds. Just over half of the submersion cases reported that the person was rescued / revived but 48% of media-reported submersion cases were fatal.
Far too many cases involved grown adults drowning at waterparks, with reports indicating or implying that they did not know how to swim. There is nothing about a waterpark that makes the water less likely to drown someone than ocean water or swimming pool water. Non-swimmers need to use floatation devices and participate with a strong swimmer nearby. Better yet, learn to swim! It is never too late.
Learning to swim in childhood is a public health issue and provides lifelong protection. Congratulations to the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™ for producing this valuable event that not only calls attention to this issue but also takes steps toward solving it. Kudos!
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