Drowning can be prevented
The World Health Organization estimates that 360 000 people drown annually worldwide.
Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to the WHO, an estimated 360 000 drowning deaths occurred annually worldwide.
Rekord has reported a few drownings this year.
A 12-year-old girl drowned at a resort in the east of Pretoria while a 14-year-old boy drowned in Maubane near Hammanskraal.
Two weeks ago, a 34-year-old gardener drowned when he and two of his friends went for a swim at the complex where he worked.
ALSO READ: Two-year-old Daspoort boy critical after near-drowning
A University of Pretoria study, Drowning in Pretoria, South Africa: A 10-year review by Neil Morris, Lorraine du Toit-Prinsloo and Gert Saayman found most common drowning deaths were of children in the swimming pool, with infants representing a high percentage of cases.
“Efforts should be made at improving public awareness and implementing preventive measures,” the study found.
“Among adults, alcohol is again seen to be present in the blood of many victims of drowning.”
Tips to prevent drowning:
– Swim only where there are lifeguards.
– Swim with friends (because swimming with companions allows for a much faster response rate if anyone gets into trouble).
– Be aware of your abilities, and the abilities of those you are swimming with.
– Avoid alcohol while swimming.
Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
