Summer is the time to worry about drowning.

The haunting...

According to statistics from the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs , although the number of children drowning tends to decrease, each year, drowning still claims the lives of about 2,000 children. In Vinh Phuc, from 2020 to 2024, the whole province had 43 tragic drowning incidents, causing 50 victims to pass away forever.

Swimming skills, skills in handling situations in water environments and close care and management of children by each family are key factors to reduce the rate of drowning in children.

In 2024 alone, there were many drowning accidents in the province, causing many student victims to die.

On April 25, at Pho Day River in Lap Thach district, there was also a drowning accident that killed 2 7th grade students of Ban Gian Secondary School.

On the afternoon of May 19, in Yen Lac district, 6 9th grade students of Yen Dong Secondary School, Yen Dong commune invited each other to go play on the sandbank of the Red River, in Van Phuc commune, Phuc Tho district, Hanoi city. While playing, 5 students in the group fell into a deep hole. The incident was discovered by local people and only 3 students were saved, the other 2 drowned and died.

On June 22, two siblings, Ly Ngoc Q (born 2012) and Ly Anh T (born 2014), residing in Ngoc Thanh commune, Phuc Yen city, along with two other children in the neighborhood, went swimming in a stream near their house. While swimming, a drowning accident occurred, causing Q and T to die.

On the afternoon of July 2, two students, Pho Thi TM (born 2010) and Truong Thi H (born 2012), both students of Dao Tru Secondary School, Tam Dao District, went to the irrigation lake to play and drowned.

Analysis by functional sectors shows that there are many causes leading to accidents in general and drowning accidents in particular. First of all, children lack attention and supervision from parents and caregivers; children's active, curious nature, lack of knowledge and self-protection skills are among the leading causes of accidents, injuries and deaths due to drowning.

In addition, unsafe living environments and difficult economic conditions are factors that increase the risk of drowning incidents... Therefore, behind child drowning accidents are the pain, anguish and regret of parents, teachers and local authorities.

...To have no more pain

In order to be more proactive in organizing and implementing the work of preventing and combating child drowning, the Provincial People's Committee has issued documents requesting the heads of provincial departments, branches, sectors, and organizations, central agencies located in the area, Chairmen of People's Committees of districts and cities, and Chairmen of People's Committees of communes, wards, and towns to pay attention to and effectively implement the state management work on protecting, caring for, and educating children, preventing and combating accidents and injuries, especially preventing and combating child drowning.

Localities in the province have focused on implementing solutions to overcome shortcomings and limitations in the work of preventing and combating child drowning accidents; reviewing, checking, and promptly detecting deep holes, ponds, lakes, rivers, water areas, beaches, and areas at risk of drowning accidents to take measures to prevent drowning for children such as covering wells, water tanks, and containers for domestic water, making fences and warning signs in areas at risk of drowning, etc.; promptly detecting and eliminating risks of accidents, injuries, and other safety risks for children in the locality and in households, schools, and classrooms.

At the same time, strengthen training activities, foster knowledge and skills to prevent and combat child drowning for staff working in child protection and care at all levels and for children; make the most of facilities that can serve the training and teaching of swimming to children.

The Education sector also issued many documents requesting the Department of Education and Training, Centers for Vocational Education - Continuing Education of districts, cities, and affiliated units to strengthen propaganda, dissemination, and education to parents and students about drowning prevention and control.

As a locality surrounded by many lakes and dams, the risk of drowning is always latent, so propaganda work on drowning prevention for students is always of interest to Minh Quang Primary School, Tam Dao District. Before the end of the school year, teachers of each class regularly educate and remind students about the risks and measures to prevent drowning for themselves. In particular, the school has a modernly built and designed swimming pool that has just been handed over. To effectively exploit the project this summer, the school has planned to organize swimming classes and open it for students in the area to practice swimming.

At Kim Long B Primary School, Tam Duong District, 100% of students have signed a commitment to strictly follow regulations on drowning prevention and not to swim or wade in water without an adult. During the last lessons of the school year, teachers at the school continuously incorporate lessons on how to recognize the risks of drowning and equip students with drowning prevention skills.

Regularly update information on drowning situations nationwide and in the province to propagate and remind students to strictly follow regulations on drowning prevention. Coordinate with parents to manage students during the summer.

Faced with the risk of children drowning every summer, along with the involvement of authorities at all levels and functional sectors, each parent and family needs to proactively teach children safe swimming skills, regularly remind children of the risks that can cause drowning and where to swim to ensure safety.

Because swimming skills, skills to handle situations in water environments and close care and management of children by each family are key factors to reduce the rate of drowning in children.

Article and photos: Thieu Vu

Source: http://baovinhphuc.com.vn/Multimedia/Images/Id/129540/Den-he-lai-lo-duoi-nuoc