How to be safe near water

In South Africa, approximately 1 500 fatal drownings are reported every year - and 450 of them are children, show stats from the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI). In the case of very young children, 70% of drowning deaths take place in or around the home in ponds, pools, bathtubs and even buckets, says Andrew Ingram, head of drowning prevention at the NSRI. “Drowning is silent and can occur within 20 seconds – not at all like you see in the movies. When people are drowning, all of their energy is going into trying to breathe and stay above water, so they don’t yell for help or wave their hands. Just a silent gasping for air and 20 to 60 seconds later, submersion.” 

Parents and caregivers should be extra vigilant when their children are near water – no matter how shallow or small the body of water. “Small children should not be able to get close to water alone without responsible adult supervision,” says Ingram.

Signs that someone is drowning:

- They’re struggling to keep their face above water – their head is low and tilted back, with their mouth at water level.
- Their body is upright, as if they are bobbing.
- Arms are extended to the side, pressing down for support.
- They look panicked - eyes appear big and glassy.
- They aren’t able to respond when you ask: “Are you okay?”

Staying safe

Where there is water, there is danger. Shane Maitland, founder of Little Munki’s swim school in Johannesburg, knows this all too well. He tragically lost his nephew to drowning – the reason he started the school. “Losing my nephew was one of the hardest things I have had to go through, and watching my sister and my brother-in-law deal with the loss of their three year-old child was heart breaking. I started the swimming school so that we can teach as many children as possible how to swim so that their families never witness such a tragedy.” 

His top tip is to introduce your child to water as early as possible in life, so they get comfortable and confident around it – a great base for swimming lessons later on. “At bath time, pour a little water over your child’s face to get them used to the idea of splashing. From six months, start going for baby swim classes, where you’ll go into the water with your little one. You’ll want them to learn to swim as soon as possible so they can be safe in water – even though, of course, you can never leave them alone near water until they are much older.” Celeste is hyper-vigilant with her own children around water. “Some people will read about drownings and think it’s due to parental negligence, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. It can happen in literally a few seconds – the time it takes to send a message on your phone while you’re ‘watching’ the kids in the pool. Be that overbearing parent who watches the kids like a hawk – it’s worth it.”

Follow these rules

Shane and the NSRI give the following tips to stay safe near water – whether at the beach, rivers, dams or at home. Teach them to your kids and be sure to follow them yourself:

- Children should never go into water alone and small children shouldn’t even play near water alone.
- Never jump into a river or dam without checking the depth first.
- Don’t lean over a body of water to get something from it. Rather lie down flat on your stomach to reach into the pool.
- If you are on a boat, or fishing from a bank or rocks, always wear a life vest - even if you can swim.
- Have kids wear life jackets or floatation devices while playing on the beach or near water. That doesn’t mean that you don't have to watch them, but it will make them safer.
- Swim only on beaches where lifeguards are on duty, and stay between their flags to avoid rip currents [see sidebar]. Talk to lifeguards about local hazards before getting in the water.
- If someone, especially a child, nearly drowned, take them to the emergency room even if they seem fine. ‘Dry drowning’, where fluid stays in the lungs, is still a risk.

IMAGE CREDIT: 123rf.com