'World's largest swim lesson' held across New Jersey and the globe, including Breakwater Beach in Seaside Heights
Lifesaving lessons begin at an early age, and a group of kids in Seaside Heights got a first-hand water safety course as part of what's known as the world's largest swimming lesson.
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The Jersey Shore has already seen a number of drownings this year. Experts say most, if not all of them, can be prevented.
Lifesaving lessons begin at an early age, and a group of kids in Seaside Heights got a first-hand water safety course as part of what's known as the world's largest swimming lesson.
With the signal given, dozens of children, their parents, caregivers and lifeguards hit the wave pool at Breakwater Beach, all to get a few minutes of potentially life-saving water education.
“If they plan on visiting the ocean it's definitely a great thing for the little ones and even the bigger ones to learn too because the ocean is unpredictable,” said Ashley Kullberg, a mom with her three kids attending the lesson from Bayville.
The young children learned that kicking, floating, and treading water all can help save your life, under the watchful supervision of experts and a cool mascot named Captain Jack, a trained open water rescue dog.
“The floating. I think the floating and turning was really a good thing for them,” said Davey Hockenbury, visiting from Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The lesson at Breakwater Beach is just one of 20 taking place simultaneously across the state. More than 40,000 children will have participated in the lesson in 25 countries.
“Drowning is 100% preventable and it happens in a split second it's not like you see on TV it's silent and it's deadly and it ruins families for the rest of their lives,” said Joe Oehme, of New Jersey Swim Safety Alliance.
The swim lesson was capped off by a demonstration with the Ocean County Sheriff's drone unit. This technology can now reach troubled swimmers far faster than lifeguards.
“This is a restube. This is an inflatable tube were you able to deploy from a drone. Due to the riptides and strong currents we are doing patrols with these guys were you able to fly the drone over the person in distress and release it from the drone,” said Detective Adam Wright, from the Ocean County Sheriff's Office.
“Ninety-nine point nine percent of drownings and submersions are because folks come to the beach on unguarded beaches and are not swimming in front of a lifeguard or supervision of any kind,” said Chief Tim Farrell, of the Seaside Heights Fire Department.
