MORE BRITISH CHILDREN DROWN ABROAD THAN IN THE UK – BE SAFE THIS SUMMER WARNS THE STA
“It is estimated that there are nearly 650 swimming pool accidents per day in the European Union”
With the school summer holidays only a week away, millions of British holidaymakers will be preparing to depart to foreign shores, and the  Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA), the UK’s leading authority on water safety, is advising parents to be sensible and prepare in advance for a fun and safe holiday.
Tragically it’s almost certain that we will hear of a drowning abroad this summer, with swimming pools posing the greatest risk of death and injury to children in a holiday setting. In Greece, famous for its countless beaches, almost all drownings of young children occur in swimming pools. Similarly in the Algarve, Portugal, a tourist region with over 150 kilometres of coastline, 83% of child drownings over the last seven years have occurred in swimming pools. As well, more British children drown on holiday abroad than in Britain itself, most of them in swimming pools.
To help parents, here are a few simple reminders:
1. On arrival, inspect the location for potential hazards. It is not uncommon for a drowning to occur while both parents have been unloading the car or unpacking upon arrival.
2. Young children are attracted to water. Don’t take your eyes off them for even one second if they are near water. Parents / Guardians should take turns to keep their eye on children who are in the swimming pool.
3. Never accept the validity of pool depth markings – they are often wrong or misleading. Get someone to test the depth before allowing weak or non-swimmers near the pool.
4. If the clarity of the pool is so poor that you can’t see the bottom, then stay out of the water.
5. Drains and water inlets can trap fingers and hair. Point these out to children so that they understand the danger.
6. If the children’s pool is adjacent to the main pool, weak and non-swimmers should be deterred from changing pools or using the dividing walls / features to walk on.
7. Weak and non-swimmers should not go out of their depth – even when they are using armbands and other floatation devices.
8. At the beach, never play or swim near rocks, or near boats or other crafts.
9. On the continent a ‘Red for Danger’ or ‘Yellow for Caution’ and a ‘Green Safe to Swim’ flag system is used, but often a bit on the liberal side. It’s better to be safe and swim only when the ‘Green’ flag is showing.
10. Always swim parallel to the shore rather than out to sea – and stay within your depth.
11. Don’t take lilos and other inflatables into the water – they can blow you out to sea and they may ‘pop’.
12. Explain and reiterate the four water safety rules:
a. Never Swim Alone
b. Do not dive into unknown bodies of water
c. Do not push or jump on others
d. Know where to help in case of an emergency
One final tip - after your holiday, let the travel agency know if the holiday met your family’s safety needs. Whether your report is good or bad it is important to let your travel agency know if the location was safe, as other families will be staying there as well.
Recent case studies in Europe
A seven-year old girl drowned just hours after arriving on a family holiday abroad in Italy. She went straight to the swimming pool, and was seen by other tourists playing in the shallow end with children, and nobody noticed her drown.
A four-year old boy drowned whilst on holiday abroad in Marbella, Spain. When he slipped out of the holiday apartment, unnoticed by his family, he was found minutes later unconscious in the swimming pool.
In Portugal, an Italian 18-month old toddler drowned in the unprotected pool of a holiday property as the parents were unpacking for the holiday.
A fourteen-year old suffered neck injuries when he dived into a pool and struck the opposing wall.
Why swimming pools can be risky for children
Swimming pools present different dangers to children of different ages. Toddlers and very young children are at risk of falling into the pool and drowning, which usually happens in a brief lapse of supervision. Some drownings occur when children get caught under a pool cover where they cannot be seen or free themselves.
Older children are at risk for head-first diving injuries. Recreational diving injuries cause 10% of all swimming injuries to children 14-years of age and younger. Recreational diving injuries also account for over 70% of all spinal cord sports/recreational injuries and occur most frequently in private pools to boys 11-15 years of age. A study of teenage diving victims with spinal cord injuries (causing paralysis) shows that 87% took place in swimming pools, that depth indicators were not present in 75% of the pools, and that there were no warning signs at 87% of the pools. In particular, pools in which there is a gradual incline have a dangerous transition area where 95% of spinal injury accidents occur. It is important that pools be adequately marked for safe diving depths.
Hotel Pool Safety Abroad
Recent trends in hotel pool design accentuate aesthetic and fun features (such as underwater jets and hidden benches) at the cost of safety. These pools are often unfenced, cannot be fitted with a cover, lack depth markers and unfortunately even lack the presence of a lifeguard.
A European standard for swimming pool safety in design and management is currently being drafted under CEN/TC 136, and is expected to be adopted shortly.
Information extracted from the European Child Safety Alliance’s ‘Protecting Children and Youths in Water Recreation
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