Cupertino kids swim in 'World's Largest Swimming Lesson'

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Cupertino kids swim in 'World's Largest Swimming Lesson'

On Tuesday, June 18th, 2013, tens of thousands of kids and adults at aquatic facilities around the world united for the fourth year in a row to set a new Guinness World Record for the ‘World's Largest Swimming Lesson’.

On Tuesday, June 18th, 2013, tens of thousands of kids and adults at aquatic facilities around the world united for the fourth year in a row to set a new Guinness World Record for the ‘World's Largest Swimming Lesson’.

The record breaking swimming event took place all throughout the world at 3 pm GMT (11am ET, 8 am PT.). KTVU visited the Sutton Swim School in Cupertino to catch part of the action.

The inaugural WLSL event established the Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous swimming lesson ever conducted in 2010 to build awareness about the vital importance of teaching children to swim to prevent drowning.

Team WLSL holds the current Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous swimming lesson, which stands at 24,873 participants representing 15 different countries across five continents.

Tragically, drowning remains the leading cause of unintended, injury related death for children ages 1-5, and the second leading cause of accidental death for children under 14. Research shows participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88% among children aged 1 to 4, yet many kids do not receive formal swimming or water safety training.

The WLSL program works to promote drowning prevention through education by focusing the energy of thousands of participants on a clear and specific message all at the same time. Aquatic facilities, from Disney's Typhoon Lagoon near Orlando, Florida to swim schools in Orange Country, CA, to parks & recreation centers in the Bronx, to locations in Mexico, Brazil, Dubai and Lebanon, have all participated in the event to help send the message that Swimming Lessons Save Lives.

"Parents understand how important it is to protect their children by using car seats and requiring bike helmets," said Earl Sutton, owner of Sutton Swim School in Cupertino. "Someday, we hope the same will hold true for teaching kids to swim."

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On Tuesday, June 18th, 2013, tens of thousands of kids and adults at aquatic facilities around the world united for the fourth year in a row to set a new Guinness World Record for the ‘World's Largest Swimming Lesson’.

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