Tips to prevent child drowning in swimming pools, beaches, rivers and swamps

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monira444
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Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2024 4:36 am

Tips to prevent child drowning in swimming pools, beaches, rivers and swamps

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In 2019, 440 people died in our country from drowning in aquatic spaces, according to data from the Royal Spanish Federation of Rescue and Lifeguarding. Although deaths of this type are more frequent among people over 65 years of age, last year 18 children between 0 and 6 years of age lost their lives. While in adults this type of accident usually occurs on beaches, in children it is usually in swimming pools. In order to prevent drowning in children and enjoy a safe bath, we are going to give you a series of recommendations.



When you have children in water, you need to be extremely careful. They are not aware of the dangers involved and a mistake can be fatal. In addition, there does not need to be a lot of water, as they can drown very quickly in just 2-5 centimetres. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), drowning is one of the 10 main causes of death due to unintentional injury in children and young people worldwide . Among children aged 1 to 4, drowning is, after birth defects, the leading cause of death.



How to prevent drowning in children

Unexpected and unsupervised access to water can lead part time data to tragedy. It is important to remember that it is the parents' responsibility to supervise children and not the lifeguards. The lifeguard's responsibility is, when necessary, to rescue them from the water.



To avoid an accident of this nature, follow these recommendations:

Create layers of protection to keep kids safe . It is recommended to install layers or levels of protection to act as barriers when children are near water, but not swimming. For example, by putting a fence around the pool. In this sense, the Healthy Children Organization advises that the fence:
It must be at least 1.20 metres high and not have openings below or between the grates of more than 10.16 cm.
Completely separate the pool from the house.
Have a gate that closes and locks automatically and opens to the opposite side of the pool.
In addition, to prevent children from being tempted to cross the fence at any time, it is advisable not to leave toys around the pool when they are not going to swim.

This recommendation is not exclusive to swimming pools. It also applies to a pond, a well or any other aquatic hazard. It is essential to have a perimeter fence that children cannot freely access.

Prevent children from approaching water without adult supervision.
Empty water containers after use if you cannot prevent children from accessing them freely. Buckets, tubs, bathtubs, inflatable pools, etc. It is also important that children cannot access the bathroom without supervision. Toilets can be dangerous, as children can fall headfirst into them. It is advisable to install locks on doors and safety systems on lids so that they cannot be opened.
Supervise children at all times when they are in or playing near the water. Reading, drinking, or using a mobile phone are not recommended. Even the slightest distraction can lead to tragedy. Therefore, it is important that there is always an adult watching over children in the water and that they are not distracted by other things, even if the children have arm bands, floats, life jackets, etc. The 10/20 rule is a good idea: look at the child every 10 seconds and stay at a distance that allows you to reach them in 20 seconds.
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