International Drowning Prevention Week

“He Who Saves A Single Life, Is Said To Have Saved The Entire World”

~ Tractate Sanhedrin

World Drowning Prevention Day is held annually on 25 July. This global advocacy event serves as an opportunity to highlight the tragic and profound impact of drowning on families and communities and to offer life-saving solutions to prevent it.

An estimated 235,600 people drown globally every year, and drowning is among the ten leading causes of death for children aged 5-14 years.

Young children are at high risk of drowning. They are naturally curious and attracted to water. However, they are too young to understand the concept of danger, making active adult supervision vital.

Although children aged 0 to 4 years are at most risk, some level of supervision for all children under 15 is highly recommended. This ranges from being in the water, within arms’ reach and actively supervising children aged 0 to 4 years, actively supervising from the water’s edge for those aged 5 to 10 years and regularly checking up on those aged 11 to 14 years.

Drowning is fast and silent. It can happen in as little as 20-60 seconds. It doesn’t always look like we would expect.

SUPinCrete, being a strong advocate for Water safety, wishes to empower people with information, and tools to safely enjoy and benefit from our aquatic surroundings. We want you to enjoy the water, but we also want you to recognize its dangers and never underestimate its power.

Below you will find practical steps to reduce drowning for swimmers and beach-goers.:

Teach children how to swim at a young age.

Educate children and adults about water safety.
Never leave a child unattended near water in a pool, tub, bucket or sea. There is no substitute for adult supervision.
Install barriers controlling access to water
Visit beaches, water parks, lakes that have a standard lifeguard on watch.
Swim near a lifeguard whenever possible and only swim in designated swimming areas.
Learn CPR and rescue breathing and take courses to help prevent, recognize and rescue someone in trouble in the water should the need arise..
Only use proper and approved life jackets or flotation devices that fit to your body type. Do not use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision.
Do not consider children “drownproof” because they’ve had swimming lessons.
Swim parallel to the beach and close to the shore.
Look for signs and advice about the specific dangers at the place where you are swimming
Never go into the water having consumed alcohol.
If you find yourself unexpectedly in the water, float to increase your chances of survival.

It seems that swimming is indeed a critical lifesaving skill, apart from being a skill that opens up a lifetime of fun and adventure in and on the water.
In order to save lives and fully enjoy any aquatic activity, without risking our health and well-being, we have to respect the water and always follow the safety guidelines.

It is of vital importance to know the Water Safety Code:

Whenever you are around the water:
Stop and think – look for the dangers, always read the signs
Stay together – never swim alone. Always go with friends or family

In an emergency:
Call the local number for emergencies and shout for help
Float – if you fall in, float, or swim on your back. Throw something in that
floats to anyone that falls in.