We might have a new holiday destination each year, but the dangers of being near water remain the same.
ER24 spoke to us about drownings and what safety tips to follow when spending time next to the pool or at the beach this summer.
Safety tips at the pool:
• Secure your pool area with appropriate barriers – barriers that can’t be pushed down by little children.
• Never leave children unsupervised near water.
• Stay within arm’s length from little children as they submerge very quickly – especially if the water is murky.
• Make sure that children don’t play roughly in the pool or jump on top of one another.
• It is important that adults who supervise must be able to swim as well.
• Remember that anyone, including people who can swim, is at risk of drowning.
• Avoid taking risks and being over-confident.
Safety tips on the beach:
• Swim where there are lifeguards on duty and go during lifeguard patrolling hours, usually from 10am to 6pm. Don’t swim before or after that. You can still visit the beach at that time but try to stay out of the water until the lifeguards arrive.
• Make sure that you are seen by lifeguards in the water. Don’t swim outside the designated swimming area, i.e. outside the flags. This area is chosen because there are no currents and it is outside the surf zones.
• Swimmers need to watch out for surfers and surfers need to watch out for swimmers.
• Don’t drink alcohol on the beach. This is illegal and extremely dangerous. Alcohol dulls your senses which in turn makes it difficult to swim. You don’t realise that you may be hypothermic and that your limbs don’t work as well as they should.
• By dulling your senses, alcohol may inhibit your ability to sense when your children are in danger.
• Never swim alone.
In both instances, learn to do basic CPR. Make sure the person is out of the water, awake and breathing. Shout for help.
ER24 urges everyone to be safe around any body of water and to call 084 124 if they find themselves in any type of emergency.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at randfonteinherald@caxton.co.za (please remember to include your contact details in the email) or phone us on 011 693 3671.
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