The Vancouver Park Board is expanding its partnership with the Lifesaving Society and Lifeguard Outreach Society to offer three days of Swim to Survive, a water survival training program aimed primarily at children.
Two-hour Swim to Survive courses will be offered free-of-charge to almost 2000 youth on:
- Saturday, June 10 at Second Beach Pool in Stanley Park
- Sunday, June 11 at New Brighton Pool
Youth aged seven to 18 can register for a course at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. or 2 p.m. on either day. Courses are also being offered to school groups on Friday, June 9 at Kitsilano Pool. If attendance does not reach capacity, the course held on June 9 will be opened to all youth.
“We’re expanding Swim to Survive this year because it was a complete success last summer when it was offered to almost 600 youth and children,” said park board chair Michael Wiebe. “Drowning prevention is particularly important in the summer as I witnessed personally while working as a lifeguard with the Vancouver Park Board.
“Swim to Survive demonstrates our commitment to equip children with the skills to safely enjoy our pools and beaches.”
For the past five years, the board has partnered with the Lifesaving Society and approximately 60 schools to offer the swim safety course to Grade 3 students.
According to a Vancouver Park Board release, preliminary statistics indicate there were 42 drownings in British Columbia last year. Drowning remains the second leading cause of preventable death in Canada.
“The Lifesaving Society is pleased to again partner with the Vancouver Park Board to provide these important lifesaving skills to children and youth,” said Dale Miller, executive director, Lifesaving Society B.C. & Yukon Branch. “We see a continual decrease in the number of drownings in British Columbia and we know more Swim to Survive training will help to continue this trend.”
For more information or to register, visit www.lifesaving.bc.ca/swim-survive-day.
