10 swimming safety tips you need to know
Water is dangerous – even if you know how to swim.
DROWNING is one of the leading causes of accidental death among children in South Africa. With the start of the December school holidays, many people will be heading for a swim at the beach or local swimming pools.
If you’re planning to go swimming during the holidays, go through some water safety tips with everyone in your family and make sure they stick to them.
Here are some tips tips to get you started:
Never swim alone: Swim with a buddy or someone who is a good swimmer and never go into deep water unless you are an experienced swimmer.
Always swim where lifeguards are on duty: find the designated swimming areas, marked with red and yellow flagged beacons. Swimming hours are from 06h00 to 18h30. Swimming at night is dangerous as there are no lifeguards on duty.
No drugs. No alcohol: Never take part in water sports if you’re sleepy or have used drugs or alcohol. Never drink and swim. being intoxicated dramatically increases the risk of injury – especially when diving. If you go boating, wear a life jacket. Most boating fatalities occur from drowning.
Keep a look out for your friends: If you’re a good swimmer but your friends aren’t, make sure they know their limits, and keep an eye on them in the water.
Don’t just go with the flow: If a large wave approaches you and there is not enough time to get away from it, try to dive underneath the wave. Keep your body as low as possible until the wave passes over you;
Never leave children unattended: Do not entrust a child’s life to another child. Teach children to always ask for permission to go near water. If a child is missing, check the water first, seconds count in preventing death or disability. Appoint a “designated watcher” to monitor children during social gatherings at or near pools.
Watch for stingers: Steer clear of animal life like jellyfish, stingrays and bluebottles. Do not swim or surf if there are no shark nets.
Water in the hole: Always keep swimming pools covered with a safety net or cover. Even if you do not plan on swimming, be cautious around natural bodies of water including ocean shoreline, rivers and lakes. Cold temperatures, currents and underwater hazards can make a fall into these bodies of water dangerous.
Be the lifesaver: Learn to perform CPR on children and adults, and update those skills regularly. Understand the basics of life-saving so that you can assist in an emergency.
