A little over a week ago in one of the beaches of Castellón (Valencian Community), a boy about ten years old was about to die drowned because he ignored the instructions of the lifeguards on a day of 'revolt sea'. He was fortunate that an adult crossed his path and did not think twice as he threw himself into the water to save him, unfortunately the man was thrown against the rocks by a sea stroke and died.
Drowning is a public health problem worldwide, hence the need for all of us to collect prudence when it comes to exposing ourselves to the aquatic environment. In general, age is one of the main risk factors, these unfortunate accidents occurring when the supervision of children bathing is neglected.
Although more than 60% of drowning occur in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia regions, Statistics by nations show that in any case this cause of death is present in any country, and in children between one and 14 years old.
According to the WHO, strategies to prevent drowning should be comprehensive and integrate the elimination of hazards; legislation to enforce preventive measures and reduce exposure; pedagogy so that society is more aware of the risk and knows how to react to a case of drowning; and finally the prioritization of health research and initiatives. It is important to note that, globally, the problem is much greater than the figures seem to indicate. And it is that these exclude cases due to floods or mishaps in navigation or water transport. In many countries, statistics on non-fatal cases are difficult to obtain or unreliable.
Children under 5 usually have the highest death rates due to drowning worldwide, with the only exception of Canada and New Zealand, where the highest rate is in adult males
Other factors involved in drowning are:
Sex, men, with a global mortality rate that doubles the female, are especially exposed to the risk of drowning. This is due to greater exposure to water and riskier practices, such as solo baths, sometimes after consuming alcohol, or navigation.
Access to waterHaving more access to water is another risk factor. People engaged in fishing, whether industrial or subsistence, especially if they use small boats, such as in low-income countries, are more exposed to drowning. Children who live near outdoor water points or courses (ditches, ponds, irrigation canals, swimming pools ...) are at particular risk.
Others, leaving infants or very young children alone in the bathtub, unsafe boats and lacking floating devices, alcohol consumption near or in the water, certain diseases such as epilepsy, floods and events such as tidal waves.
What should prevention consist of:
1.- The engineering methods to eliminate exposure to aquatic hazards They are the most effective prevention strategy. It is basically about draining unnecessary accumulations of water or modifying the physical environment to create barriers to open-air bodies of water.
For example, fencing the perimeter of ponds or swimming pools to prevent the passage to stagnant waters; create and maintain safe water areas for recreational uses; cover open wells and cisterns or empty buckets and bathtubs and keep them upside down.
2.- Legislation can also be part of prevention strategies. For example, the obligation to fence the perimeter of ponds or pools can reduce the risk of drowning.
However, in this area the laws and rules are not enough. In general, to achieve an effective reduction of drowning rates, one must also ensure due compliance with the rules and verify fencing systems.
There are other laws and rules that affect the risk factors of drowning, but on whose efficacy there is still insufficient evidence, such as those that require periodic safety checks of transport ships or those that regulate alcohol consumption when sailing or bathe A good prevention measure, however, is to provide adequate and well-adapted individual float boats
3.- Individual and collective pedagogy on the danger of drowning, risk factors and survival techniques in water. This is a promising strategy, as well as guaranteeing the presence of lifeguards in the bathing areas.
4.- Other strategies (on which research is lacking), are programs to learn to swim, supervision of children at home and abroad, creation of guardianship systems in rural communities and education of children so that they do not enter Strong current areas or bathe without adult surveillance.
Let us never forget that water is not our natural environment, nor that small distractions of only a few seconds are enough to lose sight of a child in the sea. Everyone chooses the surveillance system that best suits their situation and needs
But we should never lose sight of a child when we are near or in the water, and we should educate them to avoid dangers such as seawater when there is a yellow or red flag, baths in rivers whose current we do not know or is too strong (and much less in solitary), or in places that accumulate water such as rafts (which may have more depth than we suspect, or be filled with aquatic plants where our limbs could be immobilized).
