Director Raymond van Mourik of the Royal Dutch Water Life Saving Association wants schools to introduce mandatory swimming lessons as soon as possible.

He wants all children to pass their A, B and C swimming diplomas. Mr Van Mourik's plea comes as life guards have been rescuing a record number of people at Dutch beaches. Many of them have never learned to swim properly. Last Wednesday alone life guards had to save over 30 people along Schevening's shoreline. Mr Van Mourik stresses that without their intervention a number of swimmers was certain to have drowned.

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