It’s Spring, which means that families go out to resorts to enjoy some fun in the sun and swimming pool while others throw pool parties to celebrate the arrival of the warmer weather. But with all this fun comes responsibility.
In light of the drowning of a 15-year-old school boy in Krugersdorp last week, the News spoke to Netcare 911 about reducing the risk of drowning.
According to Netcare 911, almost all drowning deaths occur in children aged eight years and younger and 79 per cent of all drowning deaths are pool-related, so keeping safe during this swimming season is critically important.
Drowning is the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion or immersion in liquid. Near-drowning is the survival of a drowning event involving unconsciousness or water inhalation, and can lead to serious secondary complications or death up to 72 hours after the event. It occurs more frequently in males and children.
“Drowning itself is quick and silent, although it may be preceded by a period of distress which is more visible.
People who are drowning are unable to shout or call for help or seek attention as they cannot obtain enough air. The instinctive drowning response is the final set of autonomic reactions in the 20 to 60 seconds before sinking under the water, and to the untrained eye this can look like calm and safe behaviour,” said Netcare 911 spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe.
Netcare advises the following to reduce the risk of drowning:
Inside your home:
• Never leave small children alone in the bath. Ignore the phone and door bell or take the child along.
• Use a non-slip mat in the bath.
• Empty baths, tubs and other containers after use or when full, keep behind locked doors.
• Never use a bathtub seat or supporting ring without constant adult supervision. The seat can overturn or a baby can slip out in to the water.
• Install a toilet lid locking device and keep the bathroom doors closed at all times. You may even want to install a door-knob cover.
Outdoors:
• Children should learn how to swim as soon as possible. It is equally important for them to be trained in survival skills such as floating and treading water but even then, constant supervision is always necessary.
• A child should never swim alone. Remember – buoyancy aids such as inflatable wings, tubes etc. are only aids, so do not rely solely on their protection.
• Warn against boisterous play in or near water. A dam wall or an area surrounding a swimming pool is no place to ride a bicycle.
• Children should practice coping in water with their clothes on.
• Children should never dive or jump in to water they are unacquainted with or when people are in the way.
Around the pool:
• The pool gate should have a self-latching mechanism.
• Do not prop the pool gate open.
• Use safety covers for pools not in use.
• Never leave a child unattended near a pool. Never assume your children are drown-proof even if they can swim.
• Do not use flotation toys as life preservers.
• Remove toys from the pool when children are finished swimming to prevent them from trying to recover them when unsupervised.
• Empty out all water from a wading/ paddling pool when you are finished using it.
• Remove any ladders from an above-ground pool when no-one is using the pool.
• If you leave your child with a babysitter make sure he or she knows your rules for the pool.
In some instances, there is no time to practice risk reducing measures and the only thing left to do is save a life but Netcare also has some advice for that.
“Throw the victim something that floats or offer a long object to hold on to. At all costs avoid a double tragedy.
Discourage children from jumping in. If you must go in then take something for the child to hold on to rather than permitting him to grab hold of you. Warn children about faking cries for help or pretending to be in trouble. Everybody in your home should be taught simple rescue methods and first aid, especially CPR,” Athlenda said.
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UPDATE: Missing boy’s body found
