The free "How not to drown" classes will be held on Lucavsala beach on June 15, July 6, and August 3 at 11:00.
You can register for the classes at www.peldet.lv.
The lessons will be taught by certified swimming coaches. The lessons last two hours.
Zane Gemze, the founder of "Swim Safely", said that 37 people have been pulled out of water bodies this year and more than 120 lives are lost every year, including children.
The aim of the activities offered is to raise awareness among children and young people in Riga about safe active recreation on the water, as well as to promote the use of Riga's official bathing sites. There are nine bathing sites in Riga - Lake Babelitis bathing site, Daugava bathing sites "Lucavsala" and "Lucavsala Bay", Daugava bathing site "Rumbula", Daugava bathing site "Ķīpsala", Lake Ķīšezers bathing site, Vakarbuļļi, Daugavgrīva and Vecāķi beaches. Lifeguards monitor safety on the water at all of Riga's official bathing sites from 10:00 to 22:00 every day.
As repeatedly reported by LSM over the years, Latvia has a serious problem with a huge number of drownings and other water tragedies every year. Latvia consistently tops European league tables for drownings per capita with dozens of deaths both in summer and in winter when reckless fishermen regularly fall through the ice. Statistics show that on average, a dead person is removed from the water every three days: 122 people in 2020, 100 in 2021, 94 in 2022, and 111 in 2023.
