Johannesburg - Taking a dip is one of the best ways to cool off on a scorcher of a day.
While there is a beach and public swimming pool ban, many people continue to enjoy splashing around at home. The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) say around 600 children drown in South Africa every year. Children under the age of five are the most susceptible to drowning when in proximity to water.
With reports of multiple drownings over the festive season, water-safety awareness should be a priority in every household, especially since school holidays have been extended and parents returned to work.
Mina Manoussakis, the founder and director of Aqua Dolphin Swimming Club (ADSC) in Cape Town, highlights the importance of vigilance when enjoying water activities with your little ones. She urges parents to take preventative measures to avoid any accidents.
“Your child can drown in less than 6cm of water, so never leave them alone. If you have a pool at home, install barriers to prevent unsupervised access to the swimming area. It’s really a practical investment.”
Manoussakis, who is also the chief executive of non-profit organisation, the AquAzzurra Foundation, says children are able to start learning at the swimming club from the age of two months.
“Swimming skills shouldn’t be a privilege, but rather a right,” she says. “This is why we offer children who cannot afford to pay the same high-quality service that we provide to everyone else. In many First World countries, you cannot be enrolled in Grade 1 if you don’t know how to swim. In SA, children as old as 12 don’t know how to float. Swimming should be an essential part of the school curriculum.”
At four-years old, Mckinley Edwards can’t get enough of the water.
Her mom, Mauricia Edwards, enrolled her for swimming lessons at the age of 6 months as the pool at their residence presented a risk to her safety,
“Seeing Mckinley’s confidence in the water has inspired a lot of our friends and family with kids because they also want that peace of mind.
“Although I feel more relaxed now that she knows what to do if she falls into a pool, I’ll always be cautious.”
Phila Lutho Zita, an ADSC instructor, says there’s an obligation to pass on water safety skills to children.
Phila’s top tips for when you encounter someone in need of help:
Try to remain calm and assess the situation as quickly as possible. If you’re able to assist the person by staying out of the water, use any implement on hand, like a pool noodle, pole or rope. The person in trouble should be able to grab onto the object, allowing you to pull them to safety.
If you need to enter the water, ensure the person you’re assisting is as calm as possible, under the circumstances. If they’re panicked and flailing when you reach them, they might hit you or cling to you in a manner that puts both at risk of drowning.
Calmly talk to them and get them to float on their back. Secure your arm around their chest or under their arms and swim to safety.
¡ Once they are safe, ensure that nothing is blocking their airway (throat), so that they can breathe normally and either cough or spit out all the water that has been swallowed.
The Star