Mount Sinai NY
6-14-2026 9:22pm

World Drowning Prevention Day Highlights Importance of Water Safety for Long Island Families

By Samantha Vogel-Hespos, Editor
Long Island Daily News

As families across Long Island spend more time at beaches, pools, and backyard gatherings this summer, water safety experts are urging parents to make drowning prevention a top priority.

With World Drowning Prevention Day observed annually on July 25, attention is being focused on the alarming statistics surrounding childhood drowning and the steps families can take to keep children safe around water.

According to national safety data, drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 and the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 5 to 14. These numbers underscore the importance of teaching children not only how to swim, but also how to respond safely in emergency situations.

On Long Island, Saf-T-Swim has been working to address this issue through specialized swim instruction and water safety education. With 13 locations across Nassau and Suffolk counties, the swim school focuses on helping children develop critical self-rescue skills that can save lives.

Saf-T-Swim is part of SafeSplash Swim School, which recently became the only learn-to-swim provider in the United States to earn the National Drowning Prevention Alliance’s Platinum Seal—the highest recognition awarded to organizations that demonstrate a proven commitment to drowning prevention and water safety education.

The program’s S.A.F.E.R. Swimmer Promise is designed to ensure children master ten essential water safety skills within one year. If a child does not achieve those benchmarks during that time, additional lessons are provided at no cost to the family. Nationwide, more than 10,000 children have successfully completed the program.

Water safety advocates emphasize that swimming lessons should be viewed as one layer of protection, alongside active supervision, proper pool barriers, life jackets when appropriate, and ongoing conversations about water safety rules.

As World Drowning Prevention Day approaches, local experts encourage parents and caregivers to evaluate their family’s water safety plans and consider swim instruction as an important investment in their children’s safety.

For Long Island families, the message is simple: learning to swim can be fun, but it can also be lifesaving.

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