BRUSSELS (AP) — The Dutch swimming federation is calling for more funding and outreach to ensure as many people as possible in the Netherlands – including migrants – learn to swim.
The call from the Royal Netherlands Swimming Association followed the drowning death of a teenager at a public pool in the southern city of Venlo.
The association said in a statement Tuesday that the Netherlands, with its thousands of kilometers (miles) of canals and rivers and long North Sea coastline, has a long tradition of teaching young children to swim.
It noted: “However, this tradition is not commonplace among residents with a migration background.”
Police say the 16-year-old boy was hauled out of a swimming pool in Venlo and pronounced dead at a hospital. Dutch media report that the victim was Syrian.