Howell Takes Part in World's Largest Swimming Lesson

It's not every day that people get a chance to become part of a Guinness World Record. 

But that's what local children were able to do at Howell Area Aquatic Center Tuesday as they participated in the World's Largest Swim Lesson. The worldwide effort coordinated by several safety and training organizations is aimed at promoting swimming as a measure to prevent drowning.

Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths for children ages one to 14, according to the WLSL website.

The organization estimates more than 25,000 participants worldwide will break the record that the WLSL set last year, when they had 3,971 people take swim lessons in 34 states and five countries.

Those 25,000 people included the 40 or so children at the Howell Area Aquatics Center that received a free  swimming lesson Tuesday, ranging in ages from 10 months to 14 years old.

Katie Aseltine, the head water safety instructor and event coordinator with the aquatic center said she found out about the event through Facebook and decided to bring it local.

"It definitely gets out the point that swimming lessons save lives and how important it is to be an active, safe swimming family wherever you participate in water activities," Aseltine said.

The swimming lesson began simultaneously worldwide at 11 a.m. EST, lasting 45 minutes. The lesson started with a poolside lecture on water safety tips, and once the kids hit the water they learned basics like proper breathing, floating, gliding  and how to call for help.

The official news of the record breaking won't come for another month, as each site needs to log and submit their numbers to Guinness. In the meantime, Aseltine hopes the event can spur more people to be involved with the aquatic center's programs.

"It's cool to be a part of it, it's not something most people think of being able to participate in," she said. "They're going to be able to be a part of it, and their name's in the Guinness World Records."

That's the part the kids seemed most pleased with.

"It's really kind of cool 'cause I'm excited to get the book of world records and look myself up," Dante Michelotto, 8, said.