Mayor Adams Names Series of Free Youth Swim Lessons in Honor of two Teenagers who Tragically Lost Their Lives off Coast of Riis Beach, Announces Details of $5.5 Million Expansion Program

May 29, 2025

Watch video here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4TIbbO8zaA

$5.5 Million Investment in 'Swim for Life' Classes Will Bring Free Youth Swim Classes to 4,800 Additional Young People, Bring Total Number of Youth Served to Over 18,000 Program Keeps Families Safe During Summer Months When Kids Are at Pools, Beaches

New York – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the newly named "Elyjha Chandler and Christian Perkins Swim for Life" class at Erasmus High School in Flatbush, Brooklyn in honor of two teenagers who drowned off the coast of Jacob Riis Beach in the summer of 2024. The naming delivers on a promise Mayor Adams made to Aminatu Noah, the mother of Elyjha Chandler, during a Community Conversation in East Flatbush last month. Mayor Adams also highlighted his administration's $5.5 million investment to expand free swim safety classes to a total of 18,000 second graders, as first announced in his 2025 State of the City address.

"The most important job we have as a city is to take care of our kids and keep them safe, and that includes ensuring that our young swimmers are safe and protected this summer," said Mayor Adams. "We know that having access to free swim lessons can make a big difference in families' lives, which is why we're investing an additional $5.5 million in the 'Swim for Life' program to serve our youngest New Yorkers and provide free swim lessons to nearly 18,000 young people. And by naming the swim class here at Erasmus High School the 'Elyjha Chandler and Christian Perkins Swim for Life' class, we are turning unimaginable pain and sorrow into purpose."

"The renaming of the 'Swim for Life' class at Erasmus High School in honor of Elyjha Chandler and Christian Perkins is a powerful reminder of why this work matters so deeply," said New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) Commissioner Sue Donoghue. "Every child should have the chance to learn to swim – it's not just a skill, it's a life-saving necessity. Through the expansion of our 'Swim for Life' program, we're ensuring that thousands more young New Yorkers, especially in underserved communities, gain access to free, high-quality swim instruction. We are proud to stand with Mayor Adams in honoring Elyjha and Christian's memories through action that will protect lives for years to come."

"I'm incredibly grateful that this swim class is not only teaching life-saving skills, but also honoring my son, Elyjha Chandler, and his friend Christian Perkins in a meaningful way," said Aminatu Noah, mother of Elyjha Chandler. "Knowing that their names will be associated with water safety and protecting other families from experiencing this kind of loss brings a sense of purpose to our pain. This program is a step toward change and a legacy of hope."

"Thank you, Mayor Adams and Erasmus faculty for renaming the swimming program in honor of our sons, Christian and Elyjha," said Kibret Perkins, mother of Christian Perkins. "We are profoundly touched that Christian and Elyjha's legacy will live on through a program that brings life-saving swimming skills to children of all backgrounds. This beautiful tribute not only honors their memory but also offers hope, healing, and protection to our community. No parent should have to endure the loss we have faced, and we pray this program helps prevent such tragedies. We are truly grateful for this honor and find comfort in knowing that Christian and Elyjha's names will continue to make a difference – saving lives and inspiring others."

With $5.5 million in new funding, the Adams administration will expand the free 'Swim for Life' programs to serve an additional 4,800 youth annually, bringing the total number of youth participants in NYC Parks' swim programs to over 18,000 young people. These free lessons will take place at New York City Public Schools' pools and select third-party indoor pools across the five boroughs, including at Erasmus High School in Brooklyn.

NYC Parks' free swimming classes taught more than 13,000 young people how to swim in 2024, saving families hundreds of dollars each on swimming classes and laying the foundation for a lifetime of water safety for their children. Additionally, about 20,000 New Yorkers take part in swim programming – including senior splash and swim team programs and swimming lessons for children – throughout the year. As part of Swim for Life, NYC Parks will host three sessions – in winter, spring, and fall – of free swim safety classes each school year. This targeted effort ensures that more second graders, particularly in underserved communities, gain life-saving water-safety skills while benefiting from Mayor Adams' broader efforts to make New York City safer and more affordable for working-class families.

Beyond today's major investment in the city's pools, the Adams administration has also taken action to combat a nationwide lifeguard shortage to ensure that as many of New York City's pools and beaches can be open for safe swimming as possible this summer. In May 2024, an arbitration panel issued an award in the city's ongoing negotiations with the bargaining unit representing city lifeguards to pave the way for the city to be able to hire more lifeguards, allow more swimming capacity at beaches and pools over the coming summers, and improve operations of the city lifeguard program. Among other things, the award allows the city to modify the qualifications for lifeguards assigned to shallow water pools and modernize the vision requirements to be more in line with state regulations and industry standards. This action builds on the city's agreement with District Council 37 last year to permanently improve the pay of city lifeguards to $22 an hour as of last summer, along with a $1,000 per year bonus for returning lifeguards. City beaches reopened for swimming this past weekend, while public pools open on June 27, 2025.

To learn more about water safety programs, New Yorkers can visit NYC Parks' website.

The expansion of free swim classes is the latest step in the Adams administration's commitment to ensuring more New York City families have access to safe and affordable swim programming. The administration has brought seven DOE pools back online over the last three years, including Evander Campus, Dewitt Clinton, two pools at Truman Campus, M045 River East Elementary, New Utrecht High School, and Beach Channel Campus. In June 2024, Mayor Adams and NYC Parks announced a $1 billion investment in public pools across all five boroughs, including two new pools in Brooklyn and Queens – the first public city pools to be added since 2008.2008.

"The naming of the 'Elyjha Chandler and Christian Perkins Swim for Life' program is a powerful and heartfelt tribute to two young lives lost far too soon," said New York State Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn. As a mother and representative of Flatbush, I am deeply moved by this initiative: by expanding access to swim education and further protecting and empowering our youth, we are honoring Elyjha and Christian's memory in the most meaningful way. I applaud Mayor Eric Adams for this vital investment in public safety and equity, and I stand proudly in support by advancing legislation to expand swimming class access in the State Legislature."