Health urges to take precautions to prevent drowning and aquatic incidents during the summer

The Ministry of Health has transferred to the population a guide of recommendations to avoid drowning and injuries in aquatic environments and enjoy a safe bath this summer. Through a statement, Health has recalled that drowning is “an important public health problem” and has stressed that aquatic incidents can be prevented “with appropriate behavior on beaches, swimming pools and other bathing places.”.

According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2019 an estimated 236,000 people died from drowning worldwide.. According to the latest consolidated data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), in 2021 510 people died in Spain (419 men and 91 women) as a result of submersion and drowning in an aquatic environment.

In Spain, the highest drowning rates per 100,000 inhabitants occur in the oldest age groups of 80-84 years (2.9), 75-79 years (2.62) and 70-74 years (1.75), followed by the groups of 20 to 24 years (1.75).

Health points out that the consequences of drowning are “highly preventable” through measures such as “installing barriers to control access to water in swimming pools and aquatic environments, teaching school-age boys and girls to swim and water safety skills (meaning of flags and signals, use of life jackets, action against rip currents, basic rescue and resuscitation maneuvers, etc.), or training people in the environment in safe rescue and resuscitation.”.

Prevention: Recommendations for a safe bathroom

The Ministry has pointed to several risk factors related to drowning, such as risk behaviors, moments of relaxation in the supervision of minors, bathing in unsupervised areas, the consumption of alcohol and other drugs near or in the water, medical conditions such as epilepsy and tourists unfamiliar with the particularities of local waters.. Likewise, they remember that special attention must be paid to both the elderly and minors..

The best prevention in the case of minors is “monitoring, teaching them to swim and educating them to respect safety regulations”. “Drownings occur quickly and silently, most of the time the victim has been out of sight for less than five minutes.. Therefore, keep an eye on them at all times when they are in the water or playing near it and do not delegate this responsibility to an older child.”.

In addition, they advise not to leave a baby or young child alone at any time in a bathtub or inflatable pool: “A baby can drown in just a few centimeters of water”.

Other advice from the Ministry of Health is that the pool has a lifeguard; that children cannot freely access the pool; o avoid running around the edge of the pool or playing push people. “If you don't know how to swim, or don't know how to swim well, wear a life jacket when bathing and always wear it when practicing a water sport. Inflatable floats are not recommended,” they add in this regard..

On the beach, they urge you to respect the flags: “Never bathe if it is red, and with yellow it is dangerous: bathe only up to the waist and with caution. Also, bathe in beaches with surveillance and always respect the instructions of the lifeguards”.

On the other hand, Health asks not to overestimate the physical condition or the ability to swim: “In the sea, if you get tired or have difficulty returning, swim on your back moving your legs only until you get close to the shore. Lastly, if you feel you are being pulled by a current, swim parallel to the beach and once you have left the beach, swim towards the shore.”.

In addition, they recommend not bathing in areas where bathing is prohibited; and always bathe in company, particularly if it is an elderly person or with a health problem. “Swimming at night is very dangerous, if something happened to him, no one would be able to see him.. Remember that alcohol consumption decreases the ability to react to danger or can lead to adopting risky behaviors,” they add.

Finally, they affirm that diving headfirst from a great height, such as bridges, trees or balconies, “can cause very serious injuries.” “Before jumping in, make sure there is enough depth and there are no obstacles. Especially in the case of cloudy water. Mats and other inflatable objects should be used with caution, as they can drag us in quickly,” they conclude.