Children and adults who hopped into the pools at six Orange County swim centers Friday were part of a global event to raise awareness about water safety and drowning prevention.
The 7th annual World’s Largest Swimming Lesson had an estimated 45,000 participants, spanning 24 countries in 24 hours, according to organizers. That number would make it the largest 24-hour global swimming lesson event in history.
At Blue Buoy Swim School in Tustin, 57 people, including lifeguards, were in the water with another dozen observing around the pool deck, said owner Johnny Johnson. The Tustin swim school has participated in the event since it began.
Drowning is a global epidemic that should be addressed on the local level, Johnson said.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for outreach,” he said. “Swim lessons help save lives with direct assimilation of skills for students, but by extension, raising awareness to families that there is always risk whether you’re in or around the water.”
An additional 204 children and adults participated in the 30-minute lesson at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatic Center, one of two sessions taking place in Irvine.
The center, which participated in the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson for the first time, drew the attendance of Lynn Schott, Irvine’s mayor pro tem.
“It was so exciting to see all the families gathered at that pool and it was really fun to watch the faces of the instructors light up,” Schott said. “I hope we continue to do this. It’s a very important message for us to get out to our community, not just kids, but adults who have never swam before.”
Other county locations that participated in this year’s event include JFTB Aquatics Center and Watersafe Swim School Aquatic Center in Los Alamitos, Waterworks Aquatics Huntington Beach and Waterworks Aquatics Irvine.
