Learn To Swim program offers free lessons year-round

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The New York City Parks Department tells News 12 there were five drownings at city-run beaches this summer season, and two of them were in Brooklyn. As News 12 previously reported , on July 5, two teenagers were pulled from the waters of Coney Island while swimming in a closed section of the beach after lifeguard hours. The teens later died at the hospital. Incidents like these are what parents like Julixa Campusano say motivated her to put her kids in swim lessons. “We need to make sure our children learn how to swim and get the skills they need because we are not going to be around our children in the water as much, but we want to make sure they know the safety and skills on how to navigate these waters," said Campusano. Her children are in the city's "Learn to Swim" program. It's a free lottery-selection program that teaches kids, ages 1 1/2 to 17 year old, how to swim in the summer and during the year. They also offer programs for people of all ages. For more information on how to get involved, head to the New York City Park Department's website . "