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Stay Safe in the Water
Get your child water-wise by equipping them with the necessary skills
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Drowning is the second highest cause of unnatural death in children in South Africa, and in a balmy climate where we swim a lot, children are often exposed to the dangers water can pose. Now that school’s out for the summer, your child will probably spend much of the holiday in the water, whether at the beach or in the pool.
To ensure your child’s safety, you probably make sure that you are always there when they are swimming. You may also have prepared yourself to deal with emergency situations by having a first-aid or CPR course qualification under your belt. However, because of the unfortunate margin for human error – forgetting to close a pool gate properly or briefly turning your attention to a ringing phone, Netcare says that 90 percent of children who drown are under some sort of supervision at the time. So, the question is: how equipped is your child – how well can they swim? You can decrease the likelihood of your child drowning if you send them to swimming lessons and ensure they are taught basic water survival skills as early as possible.
Olympic gold swimming champion Ryk Neethling went to water safety classes after a near drowning incident at the age of six. It’s not surprising then that Ryk, who runs swimming schools in Pretoria and Cape Town, believes that water safety classes covering vital basics such as “floating and breathing, knowing how to correctly get out of the pool and always respecting the water”, should be taught to children from six months right up to seven years. This is a crucial time for your child to become a strong and confident swimmer, as Netcare reports that a huge portion of the drowning calls it receives, especially inland, are for children between the ages of two and eight years old. Netcare also found that most drowning cases involved children who were not used to being around swimming pools.
Childsafe, the Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Southern Africa, says, “Three-year-old children are vulnerable and constitute 45,45 percent of the total reported drowning cases.” Drowning happens quickly and a child can drown in 4cm of water. Brain damage can occur within minutes.
Swimming best practices
- Always supervise children near water, but especially at home. Less than two percent of near-drowning incidents occur at the beach, but a staggering 72 percent happen at home.
- Ensure your swimming pool is fully fenced with a self-closing and self-latching gate. You also get pool fences with SABS specifications.
- Do not prop open pool fence gates.
- Make sure there is nothing for your child to climb onto near the pool, such as pot plants or trees.
- Ensure your child does not have access to the pool from the house.
- If you do not want to make use of a fence, install a pool safety net. These should always be attached when the pool is not in use and, once it is removed, make sure children are supervised near it. Always use pool nets according to their instructions.
- Never rely on flotation devices alone to protect your young child.
- The fish pond should always be covered with mesh or a net to prevent infants from drowning.
- Be sure to empty paddling pools after use or close them up safely.
- If you live near natural hazards such as rivers, dams or a vlei, fence off your backyard or property.
- When boating, make sure everyone is wearing a life jacket.
- Learn CPR and be prepared for emergencies.
Courtesy of Childsafe
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