The Swampscott Recreation Department is hosting a 2026 Water Safety Day on Friday.
The event will run from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, May 15. It will be held at Fishman’s Beach and, in the event of rain, will move indoors to the Swampscott Yacht Club. Water Safety Day is free and open to the public. Ice cream and popcorn will be provided.
The event will give residents an opportunity to meet the Swampscott Recreation Department’s summer staff and local safety experts. Attendees can enjoy lifesaving demonstrations, beach safety tips, and lessons on how to stay safe in and around the water.
During the summer, Swampscott residents are able to enjoy the town’s six beaches:
- Eisman’s/New Ocean Beach: Open for swimming, lifeguards on duty seven days a week from late-June through mid-August from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Fisherman’s Beach: Boating and swimming, lifeguard on duty weekends only from late-June through mid-August from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- King’s Beach: Public beach, swimming and no boating, no lifeguard on duty
- Phillips’ Beach: Swimming, lifeguard on duty seven days a week from late-June through mid-August from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Preston Beach: Swimming, no lifeguard on duty
- Whales Beach: Swimming, no lifeguard on duty
Beach parking stickers are required for:
- Preston Beach: Northbound side of Atlantic Avenue to the Marblehead line
- Phillips Beach: Ocean side of Ocean Avenue, between posted signs
- Whales / Eisman’s / New Ocean House: Parking lot next to the Phillips Park football field
- Fisherman’s Beach: Parking lot adjacent to the Fish House
- Recreation Parking: One side of Columbia Street next to the railroad station
Life preservers are required to be worn by children less than 12 years of age while operating all personal watercraft vessels including canoes, kayaks and paddleboards, in accordance with Massachusetts Environmental Police and Massachusetts Boating Laws. For operators of personal watercraft vessels over the age of 12, a life jacket is required to be aboard year-round.
In the United States, drowning is the leading cause of death in children 1 to 4 years old, and it is the second leading cause of death for children between the ages of 5 and 14. There are over 4,000 fatal drownings each year in the country, and over 8,000 near-drownings that are nonfatal.
In Massachusetts, there were 57 unintentional drowning deaths and 86 non-fatal near-drowning cases that required treatment at an acute care hospital in 2022. According to the Bureau of Community Health and Prevention.
