Taking a dip in the sea or in a swimming pool inside a farm or even in a hotel to bask in the treated water is on top of the ‘to do’ list for many during the sweltering summer days but one shouldn’t give it a pass as it is as dangerous if proper attention is not paid.
A recent report released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) revealed that more than 521 drowning incidents were reported in Oman during 2021 with the majority of children who lost their lives being under the age of five.
Drowning is the third highest among other causes of death in the world. WHO data issued on World Drowning Day substantiates the statistics saying such deaths in Oman have reached 211 or 1.42 per cent of total deaths.
A senior official from the Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority (CDAA) said that the water rescue teams dealt with 521 calls of drowning accidents in 2021 and that Al Dakhiliyah Governorate recorded the highest number of deaths due to drowning.
In most of the cases, the victims were children due to the result of negligence and lack of supervision by guardians. It is reported that many of them either attempted to cross the swamps of water or running wadis or were playing in the swimming pools in farms and rest houses without knowing the danger involved resulting in loss of lives. Other reasons are swimming in undesignated areas such as dams, water channels and water-logged areas, leaving children unattended near water surfaces, and non-abidance by the safety instructions urged by the CDAA.
This is a worrying matter and for a country whose geographical landscape is charecterised by a large number of valleys, necessary measures need to be taken to avoid any occurrences of drowning.
“Swimming is a skill that requires caution and should not be carried out in undesignated sites,” said Mohammed al Khadouri, a safety expert who gives training in safety and security.
“Crossing wadis (valleys) and low-lying areas despite the warning is a punishable offence and will attract legal proceedings and parents have a better role to play in saving their children from drowning,” he added.
Afrah Salim al Harbi, Swimming Trainer at Sheraton Muscat urged parents not to leave children unattended. “Children must be given a lifejacket to avoid drowning and it is better to teach a child to swim from a young age. With the availability of many swimming education centres in Oman, that has become easier now than ever,” Afrah said.
“Parents should be watchful of their children, especially below 12 years of age, just as they need to be vigilant about their children crossing wadis or playing in water ponds when taking a dip in the sea or any water ponds and it is more crucial to be vigilant when it’s raining and flash floods are formed as many drowning incidents involving children have been reported from many wilayats during sudden rains.”
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO, in its report on drowning, said that most of these deaths are preventable through evidence-based, low-cost solutions as every year hundreds of thousands of people drown around the world.
Joseph Ochai, Healthclub Manager at Al Falaj hotel Muscat gave a quick steps to ensure safety of children at swimming pools, sea and other water bodies. He said safety of lives in and around the beach and pool can never be over emphasised. “Always have a designated adult present and active watching when people are in or around water. Avoid distraction like using phones or reading. Pools should have secured fencing around all sides, along self-latching gates, to prevent unauthorised access, especially for children,” he said.
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