The holidays are around the corner and more children will be playing around pools and this could lead to a surge in drowning accidents.
According to a Netcare 911’s spokesperson Athlenda Mathe, a child drowned after falling into a fishpond at her home in Morningside, Sandton on 9 November.
“The exact details as to what happened will form part of a police investigation and comment,” she said. “When Netcare 911 paramedics arrived on the scene, we found paramedics from the provincial Emergency Medical Services (EMS) already at the scene. Sadly, the little girl had already died.”
Mathe said the toddler was declared dead at the scene by paramedics of the provincial EMS and Netcare 911 called in one of its trauma counsellors to provide counselling to the distraught family.
In light of this, the emergency services have shared information with the public to ensure that tragedies such as this do not happen. This content also includes disturbing statistics such as almost all drowning incidents occur among children who are eight years old and younger.
Mathe stressed, “Never leave small children alone in the bath. Ignore the phone and door bell or take the child along. [Place] a non-slip mat in the [child’s] bath.”
Baths, tubs and other containers should be emptied of all water after use and when they are full, keep the containers behind locked doors where a child cannot have access to it.
“Never use a bathtub seat or supporting ring without constant adult supervision. The seat can overturn or a baby can slip out into the water. Install a toilet-lid locking device and keep bathroom doors closed at all times, or you may want to install a doorknob cover,” said Mathe.
According to the emergency services, 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.”
Adults are urged to warn children against boisterous play in or near water. A dam wall or an area surrounding a swimming pool is no place to ride a bicycle, and children should practise keeping afloat in water with their clothes on.
Details: prevention@netcare.co.za
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