Let’s work to prevent drowning... the silent killer
Drowning is silent... within minutes, a loved one is lost forever.
Darcey was just three years old when she drowned in her swimming pool at her home in Somerset West. It was preventable, as are all drownings.
She was one of 1 500 who drowned in South Africa, and one of 300 000 who drowned around the world that year, which was 2020.
Since then, her family's determination to prevent drowning through the Darcey Sunshine Foundation has reached thousands of children.
This non-profit partners with schools across the Cape to spread vital life skills and water safety messages to young children, offering free water safety talks to all ages.
Their project last year provided 300 underprivileged children with a full year of survival swimming lessons and education that culminated in a fun beach safety day.
Lifesavers SA join in this special day ensuring the children learn to swim when lifesavers are on duty and to stay between the signature red and yellow flags.
With an abundance of water around us, with all our beautiful beaches, rivers and inland dams, children often love to play and explore close to and in water.
Independent teens and young adults, especially boys (we all know), can put themselves at risk.
Hanging out with peers, and often too far from adults to nag (...remind) them to be safe. means its vital they are empowered with the knowledge of their personal safety and calculated risk.
Here are some crucial reminders to keep you and your loved ones safe around water.
Drowning is silent: unlike other dangers someone cannot scream out for help, making this a silent killer.
Stop and take a moment to check the water, reminding children about possible dangers in water (rocks, diving, rip tides, sea state, etc).
Survival swim lessons are a fantastic way for children to grasp the important rules, and empower them to self-rescue, in case they are ever in an emergency.
Actively watching your children is vital at all times, and sadly it is all too easy to become distracted while having fun around water, so reminding ourselves to be vigilant is so important.
Brightly coloured swimming costumes can save a life, making a person easy to spot under the water.
Consider having a designated water watcher at large gatherings - one can even hire a certified lifeguard for large pool parties, and support these young professionals who keep our beaches safe.
Think about your emergency plan and remind yourself of the emergency contact number (112), and how to perform CPR.
We can survive without food for weeks, without water for days, but for only a few precious minutes without breathing.
We always think and hope this tragedy will never happen to us, but sadly it happens to 30 families every hour around the world.
Your reaction time to rescue and then assist with CPR will save lives.
First Aid courses are available locally for all ages, and its a wonderful day empowering ourselves with the skills and confidence to react in any emergency.
Local swim instructors across Helderberg offer survival swimming lessons to all ages.
Dr Bryony May is the project co-ordinator for Darcey Sunshine. If you would like water safety education for your school or wish to know anymore about their work, call her at 071 293 8964 or visit www.darceysunshine.org