Middlesex County Launches Free Swim Lessons For All 2nd Graders

NORTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — A 4-year-old boy tragically drowned in a backyard pool this past Saturday evening, May 25, in North Brunswick.

And a 2-year-old boy is currently in critical condition at JFK Hospital in Edison after he nearly drowned in a pool in South Plainfield that same day.

In response, Middlesex County government announced Wednesday it is launching free swim lessons for all second graders in the county. Middlesex County government officials announced this at a press conference held Wednesday, May 29.

“My fellow County Commissioners and I were appalled to hear about the many drownings happening not only in New Jersey but throughout the U.S.," said Commissioner Ronald Rios. "We wondered if there was something we could do to help increase access to basic swimming lessons."

Drowning is a leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children. Free swim lessons will be open to every second grader in the county starting immediately this summer.

It's the first time Middlesex County has ever offered something like this, and it's led by the Office of Health Services.

County residents can reach out directly by calling or emailing the following participating pools for FREE lessons. They include:

• RWJ Fitness and Wellness (60 Cooke Avenue, Carteret, NJ, 07008 | 732-541-2333)
• Crystal Springs Family Water Park (380 Dunhams Corner Road, East Brunswick, NJ, 08816 crystalsprings@eastbrunswick.org
• Brookside Swim Club (41 Washington Avenue, Milltown, NJ, 08850 | 732-828-9885)
• Milltown Boro Pool (John F Kennedy Drive, 61 Violet Terrace, Milltown, NJ, 08850 | 732-828-8231)
• RWJ Fitness & Wellness Center New Brunswick (100 Kirkpatrick Street #201, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901 | 732-873-1222)
• North Brunswick High School (98 Raider Road, North Brunswick Township, NJ, 08902 | 732-247-0922 Ext. 475)
• Old Bridge YMCA (1 Mannino Park Drive, Old Bridge, NJ, 08857 | 732-727-0704)
• Raritan Bay YMCA (357 New Brunswick Avenue, Perth Amboy, NJ, 08861)
• YMCA at The Piscataway Community Center (520 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ, 07008 | 732-442-3632)
• South Amboy Branch YMCA (200 John T O'Leary Boulevard, South Amboy, NJ, 08879 | 732-553-9622)
• Woodbridge Community Center (600 Main Street, Woodbridge, NJ, 07095 732-596-4000

For more information, please visit www.middlesexcountynj.gov/swim

The Middlesex County Office of Health Services will work with every town in the county to reimburse municipal pools and nonprofits the cost to provide these free lessons. Each town in county can apply for grant funds to cover fees charged to the individual or family for swimming lessons.

Childhood drownings or near drownings so far this summer in New Jersey: Boy, 4, Drowns In North Brunswick Backyard Swimming Pool

South Plainfield Boy, 2, Clinging To Life After Near Drowning In Pool

2 Kids Nearly Drown In South Jersey Pool