Larvotto Beach was the setting for an important lesson in life-saving this week, as Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco spearheaded the 2025 edition of Water Safety Day. Organised by the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation in collaboration with the Académie Monégasque de la Mer, the annual event brought together nearly 100 middle school students from across the Principality for a morning of hands-on training in aquatic safety and rescue techniques.
Since its inception in 2014, Water Safety Day has become a fixture on Monaco’s calendar, reinforcing vital messages about drowning prevention and water safety awareness. This year’s edition focused once again on arming young people with the knowledge and skills that can one day save lives — a cause close to Princess Charlene’s heart.
The students, drawn from Monaco’s 6e and 5e classes, rotated through a series of workshops designed to equip them with both theoretical knowledge and practical rescue experience. Activities included rope-based coastal rescues, tube buoy techniques, Nipper Board handling, CPR drills, and even coordination exercises disguised as playful games like musical sticks.
Guiding them through the programme was Pierre Frolla, a four-time world record holder in freediving and a prominent ambassador for the Princess Charlene Foundation. He was joined by experienced instructors from the Académie Monégasque de la Mer and volunteers from the Monaco Red Cross, ensuring expert supervision throughout.
The event also enjoyed support from several accomplished athletes connected to the Foundation, including handball star Jérôme Fernandez, gymnast Kevin Crovetto, coastal rescue specialist Julien Lalanne, rugby player Antoine Zeghdar, and freediving champion Marine Simonis, all of whom lent their expertise and encouragement to the young participants.
Adding an international flavour to this year’s programme, a group of elite New Zealand swimmers, currently training in Monaco for the upcoming competitive season, took part in the activities. They were accompanied by their coach, Graham Hill, well known in swimming circles and a former coach to Princess Charlene herself.
For Princess Charlene, a former Olympic swimmer, the event is not just a symbolic gesture but a personal mission. Her foundation continues to champion education and hands-on training as the most effective means of reducing the risk of drowning, a leading cause of accidental death among children worldwide.
