Vancouver Park Board is once again offering up free Swim to Survive classes during National Drowning Prevention Week.
Vancouver Park Board is offering free swimming lessons. Photo: Istock/ Imgorthand
The courses, which are a partnership between the Lifesaving Society and Vancouver Lifeguard Association, are free for children aged seven to 18.
There are 240 spots available this year. Sessions are being offered at Kits pool from 3:30 p.m. until 6 p.m. on July 23 and at New Brighton pool on July 28 from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.
“This is the fourth year that the park board has offered this program to the public. Last year, more than 500 youth and children took the free course,” board chair Stuart Mackinnon said in a press release.
“Swim to Survive demonstrates our commitment to equip children with the skills to safely enjoy our pools and beaches.”
Swim to Survive is a Lifesaving Society program offered across Canada that provides basic training in three essential skills needed to survive an unexpected fall into deep water. It is not a replacement for swimming lessons, but an important step to being safe around water.
In Canada, drowning is the number one cause of unintentional injury deaths among children aged 1 to 4 years old, and the second leading cause of preventable death for children under 10. Swim to Survive teaches water smart behaviours in time for young people to make better choices around water.
Visit Swim to Survive to register.
