Princess Charlene with 100 schoolchildren for Water Safety Day
The traditional Water Safety Day was held on Tuesday on Larvotto beach, with Princess Charlene in attendance © Eric Mathon / Prince's Palace
Larvotto beach was turned into a water safety training centre on Tuesday 17 June.
Princess Charlène attended the latest edition of Water Safety Day, an event organised by her Foundation in conjunction with the Académie Monégasque de la Mer.
One hundred year 7 & 8 pupils (US 6th- and 7th-graders) learned about lifesaving techniques in five workshops led by professionals. Pierre Frolla, world freediving record-holder and ambassador for the Foundation, led the demonstrations along with instructors from the Monegasque Red Cross.
The young participants switched between practical exercises at sea and theory lessons: handling tube buoys and Nipper Boards, coastal rescue techniques and an introduction to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Several of the Foundation’s sports ambassadors shared their experiences with the schoolchildren: Jérôme Fernandez (handball), Kevin Crovetto (gymnastics), Antoine Zeghdar (rugby), Marine Simonis (freediving) and Julien Lalanne, a coastal lifesaving specialist.
The morning ended with the Ocean Race, a team race that combines swimming, sprinting on sand and rescue paddle relays. The athletes took part in the event, cheered on by the children.
Since 2014, the aim of these Days has been to raise awareness among children in the Principality of the basic notions of lifesaving sport, water safety and first aid.
Monaco’s Water Safety Day is part of the international ‘Learn to Swim’ and ‘Water Safety’ programmes run by the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, which works around the world to prevent drowning and provide access to education about the aquatic environment.