Cossum Swim Schools are proud to support World Drowning Prevention Day 2023

Cossum Swim Schools are proud to support World Drowning Prevention Day 2023.

World Drowning Prevention Day (25th July 2023) is a day created by the World Health Organisation to raise awareness of drownings and how they can be prevented.

"An estimated 236,00 people drown every year, and drowning is among the ten leading causes of death for children aged 5-14 years. Over 90% of drowning deaths occur in rivers, lakes, wells, domestic water, storage vessels and swimming pools in low and middle-income countries, with children and adolescents in rural areas disproportionately affected." World Health Organisation.

According to studies, 46% of UK drownings occur in the summer months, and this rises to 75% amongst 14 - 17-year-olds.

Swimming is so much fun, and accidents are mostly preventable with the correct knowledge.

Please see some tips for you and your family this summer.

At the pool:

Never swim alone

Always keep children under constant supervision.

Check pool markers for pool depth and talk to children about never diving into the shallow end.

Obey warning signs, notices, is there a lifeguard?

Talk to children about where to go if they become lost or separated from the group.

Please be sure everyone in your family knows who to call in case of an emergency. If abroad, know the correct number to call.

At home:

Securely cover or empty all water vessels after use, such as - paddling pools, water tables, storage containers, baths and toilets.

Turn water vessels over to avoid filling with rain water, and turn hoses off so children can’t fill themselves.

Ensure ponds are fully secured.

Never leave your child unattended in the bath.

At the beach:

Obey warning signs, notices and safety flags.

Make a note of lifeguards on duty, First Aid Posts and Emergency telephones.

Look for information for high and low tides; if the beach is wet near the water's edge, the tide is going out; if the beach is dry near the water's edge, the tide is coming in.

Be aware of being cut off by incoming tides.

Do not play on rocks, groynes or breakwaters.

Do not climb on cliffs, and keep away from cliff edges.

Do not explore caves when there is a risk of being cut off by incoming tides.

Be aware of other people on the beach. They can be an indicator of safe areas and tidal movement.

Do not use inflatable airbeds or large inflatable toys on the sea; they can easily be blown away.

Please view this short animated video created by the RNLI on how to float to save your life https://rnli.org/pages/beach-safety/beach-safe-kids

Also here are some fun water safety activity booklets provided by the STA you can print for your children this summer.   https://www.sta.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Water-Safety-Advice-Booklet.pdf

Swimming and water safety is our passion; if you would like to learn more about our local swimming lessons and training courses, please get in touch with us on 

https://www.cossumswimschools.co.uk/registration

Stay Safe, and have happy holidays.
From all the team at Cossum Swim School.

This article has been directly supplied by Cossum Swim Schools.