At the start of summer, we all want to take a splash. But be careful: vigilance must remain in order to avoid any risk of drowning.
- Each year, accidental drownings are responsible for approximately 1,000 deaths in France, approximately half of them between June and September.
- The first figures from the DROWNING 2021 survey for the period from June 1 to 13 report 128 accidental drownings and those under investigation, including 41 deaths (32%).
At the start of summer, the hot weather makes young and old alike want to swim. Here are the simple steps that must be adopted to do so safely.
For kids :
– supervise the children at all times, that is to say always stay close to them when they are playing at the edge of the water and bathe with them when they are in the water.
– Each child must be supervised by a single adult who takes responsibility for it.
– Pay particular attention when swimming in swimming pools “Aboveground” (not buried) which do not have a safety device.
– Pay particular attention to children who have not had swimming lessons this year due to Covid-19: their swimming level is not as solid as it should be.
– Teach children to swim as early as possible and familiarize them with aquatic ease from an early age.
For adults:
– find out about the weather conditions.
– In general, respect the safety instructions and bathing bans.
– Choose supervised bathing areas indicated by bathing flags.
– Take your physical condition into account: do not swim if you feel a physical problem (fatigue, health problems, chills) and do not overestimate your swimming level.
– Warn a relative before bathing.
– Enter the water gradually, especially after long exposure to the sun.
– Avoid alcohol consumption before bathing and during.
– It’s never too late to start learning to swim if you haven’t learned early.
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