Latest news with #drowningprevention
Arab News
3 days ago
- Health
- Arab News
Saudi Arabia marks World Drowning Prevention Day
RIYADH: The General Directorate of Civil Defense organized awareness exhibitions across the Kingdom to mark World Drowning Prevention Day, observed annually on July 25, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday. The initiative is intended to raise public awareness about drowning prevention and safety. The exhibitions showcased the latest rescue equipment, demonstrated first aid procedures, identified non-swimming zones, and emphasized the importance of supervising children near water. Visual awareness messages were also part of the campaign. The Saudi Life Saving Federation, in cooperation with the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, held a similar campaign in Jeddah. The event featured practical demonstrations and introductory workshops by certified trainers and lifeguards to promote water safety and educate visitors on precautions in pools and open water. The General Directorate of Border Guard also hosted an awareness exhibition in Riyadh, demonstrating rescue and first aid techniques and key maritime safety guidelines. The campaign stressed the dangers of swimming in undesignated areas and the critical need to supervise children around water, and highlighted emergency contact numbers: 911 for Makkah, Madinah, and Eastern regions, and 994 for other areas of the Kingdom. On World Drowning Prevention Day, Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding lives and promoting a culture of prevention, as the World Health Organization ranked the Kingdom first globally in water safety and drowning rescue standards, the SPA reported. National efforts have led to a more than 17 percent reduction in drowning-related deaths and helped avoid more than SR800 million in economic burden by reducing injuries and easing pressure on the healthcare system, according to the report. Minister of Health Fahad AlJalajel emphasized that drowning prevention is a strategic pillar of the national health system and reflects the Kingdom's strong commitment to saving lives. 'The Kingdom has institutionalized preventive policies, earning its place at the forefront of global drowning prevention efforts. The 17 percent drop in drownings reflects the impact of integrated national efforts and institutional synergy,' AlJalajel said.
CBC
4 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
Life jackets can save lives at the beach, and Grand Bend offers free rentals
Social Sharing Those swimming in Grand Bend can rent life-jackets while on the beach, officials with Lambton shores say — a reminder after several drownings in area waterways this summer. The life-jacket rental program at Grand Bend Beach has been in place for about a decade, said Ashley Farr, a director at the Municipality of Lambeth Shores. It was initially started to reinforce Grand Bend's status as a Blue Flag beach, a designation that requires high safety standards, as well as high environmental management and water quality. "The program has been fairly successful over the years," Farr said. "So we're just continuously trying to promote its availability and beach safety throughout Drowning Prevention Week." This year, the water safety-themed week comes amid a spate of recent drowning deaths in the London area, including the drowning of a 17-year-old in Chatham, an 18-year-old man in Ipperwash, and a 35-year-old man in Port Burwell. Risks apply to everyone, even strong swimmers. People who only go to the beach once or twice a year may not have their own life-jackets, said Stephanie Bakalar, a spokesperson for the Lifesaving Society. Lending programs becoming more common at Ontario's beaches, and even in some public libraries, where they're available for multi-day rentals, Bakalar said. Even though life-jackets are commonly used — and legally required — when boating or far out in deep water, any idea that swimming at the beach is not dangerous is a misconception, Bakalar said. It can be difficult to tell how deep water is and where a drop-off might be, as well as what hazards could be present, or how big the waves could become, she said. The dangers apply to anyone, regardless of swimming ability, she added. "If the waves knock you down and you can't regain your footing, you could drown." Some increasingly popular beach activities are risky to begin with, but especially without a life-jacket, Bakalar said. It's become more common for people to bring inflatables intended for pools — picture those glittery unicorn floaties — brought to the beach, Bakalar said. Because they float, they seem perfectly safe, even for non-swimmers, but they can easily deflate, and take a swimmer out much further than intended, she added. "You are brought out over your head so quickly and you're so far from shore and now you can't get back," she said. "Someone falls off, now they can't swim. It's an absolute recipe for disaster." A change in attitude surrounding life-jackets is needed, Bakalar said. There's a common perception that they are only for inexperienced swimmers or children, but the reality is that everyone should have one, Bakalar said, explaining that about 35 per cent of open-water drownings occur while people are swimming. To encourage safety at Grand Bend, the Lambeth Shores website gives more information not only about the life-jacket rentals, but also about structural currents and their flag system, which provides information about daily water conditions.
The Herald
4 days ago
- Health
- The Herald
Drowning rates in SA go up while global figures drop, says Lifesaving SA
Drownings in South Africa are increasing, bucking the global trend where the rates are dropping, Lifesaving South Africa (LSA) warned in a statement to mark World Drowning Prevention Day on Friday. 'While global drowning deaths have dropped by 38% over the past two decades, South Africa's rates are rising,' the federation said, adding the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated at least 2,700 drowning deaths a year, with children under five at the greatest risk. Africa has seen a 3% decline, while South Africa has struggled to deal with the threat. WHO statistics showed at least 1,600 drowning deaths a year in the country, but these figures did not include deaths from flooding disasters, LSA said. 'In South Africa the crisis is worsened by climate change and flooding disasters, such as those in the Eastern Cape in June, and preventable risks such as unsafe farm dams and canals, inadequate water and sanitation infrastructure and traditional baptism ceremonies at rivers and along coastline.'
CBC
22-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
Don't swim alone, Lifesaving Society stresses in kickoff to drowning prevention week
Officials with the Lifesaving Society are highlighting the importance of swimming with others and wearing a life-jacket as they mark another National Drowning Prevention Week. It comes as more people hit the water for the summer amid a spate of recent drowning deaths in the London area, including the drowning of a 17-year-old in Chatham, an 18-year-old man in Ipperwash, and a 35-year-old man in Port Burwell. The week-long safety campaign began on Sunday, the same day Stratford police say a 13-year-old Hamilton girl drowned while swimming in the reservoir of Wildwood Conservation Area. This year, the national volunteer organization and registered charity is focusing on educating the public about the dangers of swimming alone. The organization says swimming alone was a factor in roughly 56 per cent of drowning deaths in Ontario last year involving adults aged 35 to 64, and 69 per cent of deaths involving adults 65 and older. In young children five and under, absent or distracted supervision was a factor in 97 per cent of drownings, officials say. "Drowning is fast, and it's often silent, so we're looking at ways that you can be safer together, whether that's with someone else, or a parent being within arm's reach, or whether it's with your life jacket," said Stephanie Bakalar, a spokesperson for the Lifesaving Society's Ontario branch. "We have seen quite a few drownings this year, on par with the last few years happening in July, and it is often related to not being able to swim. It's a huge risk factor," she said. Nearly half of all reported drownings in the province last year happened in a lake or pond. Nineteen per cent involved a river, 15 per cent a bathtub, and 11 per cent a pool. Just one per cent occurred in lifeguard-supervised settings. Officials urge caution during drowning prevention week 15 hours ago Another major risk factor includes not wearing a life-jacket, including while boating. In at least 86 per cent of boating-related drownings last year, the victim was not wearing a life-jacket, the society says. "I think there's a misconception with life jackets that they're bulky, cumbersome, difficult. 'I don't need a life jacket,' is the attitude of a lot of people. 'I can swim. I'm on the boat, I'll be fine,'" Bakalar said. "Once you've been in an accident on a boat or fallen overboard, you're not going to be able to get to your life-jacket to put it on. Same as you're not going to wait to put a seat belt on until after you've crashed your car." She says modern life jackets come in a variety of styles and models, including inflatable ones that stay flat until you need them. Bakalar recommends people always swim with someone who knows how to swim or has lifesaving training, or to swim where there are lifeguards supervising. Children should always be actively watched at all times, she said. Taking or brushing up on swimming lessons is also a great way to stay safe in the water, she said, and the knowledge gained through lifesaving training can be beneficial even if you don't plan to become a lifeguard.
Japan Times
22-07-2025
- Health
- Japan Times
Swimming lessons disappearing from Japan's public junior high schools
An increasing number of public junior high schools in Japan are abolishing swimming lessons and replacing them with classroom lectures due to aging pool facilities and growing concerns about heatstroke. However, experts emphasize the importance of practical swimming education to prevent drowning accidents, and schools are exploring alternative ways to give students swimming experience. At Obu Minami Junior High School in the city of Obu, Aichi Prefecture, swimming pool lessons have been switched to classroom lectures since last year. 'I have mixed feelings about this as we'd wanted students to develop swimming skills,' said Shoya Narita, a 37-year-old physical education teacher at the school. A third-year student recalled his experience in the pool, saying, 'I wasn't really good at swimming, but I improved through practice. I'm sad it's gone.' In Obu, swimming pool facilities at public elementary and junior high schools have been deteriorating in recent years — including incidents of broken poolside structures and malfunctioning water supply systems — making them unsafe for use. Heatstroke prevention measures and typhoons have also made it difficult to maintain consistent lesson schedules. Faced with these issues, the city's board of education began reviewing the swimming classes several years ago. A growing debate over teachers' excessive workload, such as water quality management and pool cleaning, was another factor behind the review. As a result, all nine public elementary schools in the city switched to using public or private indoor pools two years ago. Meanwhile, due to class schedule constraints, the city's four public junior high schools abolished pool lessons last year as it was difficult to secure enough time to travel to and from the pool facilities outside of the schools. At Obu Minami Junior High, around 10 class periods per grade were previously devoted to swimming lessons each year. However, only two sessions for classroom lectures were held last year — one for students to study and discuss potential dangers in rivers and the ocean, and the other for them to watch videos on how to rescue someone drowning in a pool and what precautions to take near water. Similar classroom lectures are planned for this year. 'We incorporated a lifesaving perspective,' Narita said. 'We were wondering what to teach, but I believe students' learning progressed through the lectures.' Under Japan's school curriculum guidelines, swimming is a required subject from the first grade of elementary school through the second year of junior high school. Even if a pool is not available, schools are still expected to cover water safety studies in their curriculum. Public school pools were constructed nationwide in the 1950s in response to a series of fatal drowning accidents involving children. However, school mergers and aging infrastructure have led to a steady decline in the number of pools in recent years. According to the Sports Agency, there were 7,646 outdoor pools at junior high schools in the 1996 school year, but only 5,959 remained as of 2021. As the number of school pools decreased nationwide, moves to abolish swimming lessons expanded at junior high schools in the Chubu region as well. As of the 2023 school year, Gifu Prefecture had ended swimming lessons at 58 schools in 17 municipalities. According to a 2024 survey, Fukui Prefecture had discontinued them at 54 schools in 10 municipalities. In the current academic year, the same trend is seen in Shizuoka Prefecture, with 52 schools in 16 municipalities; Aichi Prefecture, with nine schools, including the four in Obu; and Nagano Prefecture, with seven schools. In Mie Prefecture, eight of the 10 junior high schools in the city of Suzuka have switched to classroom lectures. Among them, Oki Junior High School did not build a new pool when it underwent a complete renovation two years ago, citing the poor cost-effectiveness, as the outdoor pool could only be used during the summer. Japan Aquatics, the nation's swimming federation, has expressed concerns over the decline in swimming lessons at public junior high schools. 'Promoting swimming for health and water safety is part of our mission,' the federation said, urging the national government to ensure that all children have access to swimming experiences. An official at the Sports Agency said schools should ideally offer swimming-pool lessons based on curriculum guidelines. Alternatively, the official suggested that schools could use public pools or private swimming clubs while also taking into account reducing teachers' workloads. In Obu, all junior high school students are given tickets to use public pools. For those who wish, the city also subsidizes the cost of taking swimming lessons at private clubs to ensure that students still have opportunities to develop swimming skills. Keisuke Teramoto, a professor of health and physical education at Aichi University of Education, emphasizes that the issue is not whether schools have or are able to use their pools, but how to ensure opportunities for children to experience swimming. Teramoto notes that summer leisure activities often involve water, and that without actual experience, children can't truly understand its dangers. 'Over the nine years of compulsory education, schools must ensure children can properly learn how to swim,' he said. This section features topics and issues from the Chubu region covered by the Chunichi Shimbun. The original article was published June 26.
