After two teenagers drowned, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards held a press conference in Far Rockaway on July 2, emphasizing that the ocean is not a swimming pool and New York City needs to increase investment in community pools to construct more swimming facilities to protect young people.
Richards, along with local community leaders and swimming safety advocates, convened a press conference on Beach 94th St Boardwalk, advocating for investing in building swimming pools and enhancing water safety measures, such as extending lifeguard hours.
At the beginning of the event, he paid tribute to the two teenagers – 16-year-old Elyjha Chandler and 17-year-old Christian Perkins, who went missing in the water near Jacob Riis Park on June 21. Their bodies were found eight days later.
Richards pointed out the need for New York City to invest in existing community pools and construct more pools in areas lacking swimming facilities. He mentioned his long-standing commitment to establishing a state-of-the-art Olympic-sized swimming pool in St. Albans even before Mayor Adams took office.
“Because the ocean is not a swimming pool, we need to ensure our young people have the opportunity to swim 365 days a year in a safe and controlled environment, even if the lifeguard hours are not extended. That’s the direction we’ll strive for,” said Richards.
Regarding the Rockaway peninsula, Richards mentioned reaching an agreement with the NYC Parks Department and Arverne East developers to build a large swimming pool. He is currently assisting the project in obtaining financial support.
Richards also added that public schools in New York City with swimming pools should mandate students to learn swimming as part of the curriculum. He highlighted the importance of Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer-Amato’s water safety bill, which, if passed, would introduce water safety classes for kindergarten through 12th-grade students across New York State.
Dolores Orr, Chairwoman of Community Board 14, emphasized the importance of educating children about the dangers of the ocean, stating that schools should intensify their efforts in this aspect.