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Water death tradgedies

(11 Posts)
butterandjam Mon 01-Jun-26 15:00:00

Whatever happened to parents getting in the water and teaching their own child to swim?

fancythat Mon 01-Jun-26 14:54:46

check not chack

fancythat Mon 01-Jun-26 14:54:35

Yes, please chack. I would be interested to know.

NotSpaghetti Mon 01-Jun-26 14:49:23

This is on another thread... water drownings are down 80% since the 1950s/60s.
I think this was per capita. Would have to check that though.

More awareness and more people can swim.

Jaxjacky Mon 01-Jun-26 14:48:18

Sorry Mollygo x posting.

Jaxjacky Mon 01-Jun-26 14:47:38

They may be taught to swim, but it’s education on cold water shock and no amount of education will change the bravado of young people. Similarly two people have died trying to rescue their dogs, the dogs survived.

Mollygo Mon 01-Jun-26 14:47:04

Certainly there should be more publicity about ^cold water shock. I didn’t know about that till I joined a New Year’s Day swim.
But many children and teens ignore warnings or even worse, see them as a challenge.
They have the supreme confidence that they can cope and they won’t be in any danger.
One former headteacher used to do assemblies, warning of the dangers of electricity pylons and problems caused by the cross-currents and quicksands.
We still, over the years had occasional pupil deaths and for the luckier ones, claims that they had been rescued by the lifeboat.
Those claims always led to an assembly about the selfishness of making lifeboat crews risk their lives to save you from your own stupidity.

Visgir1 Mon 01-Jun-26 14:28:20

All School Children must have swimming lessons. My 9year old Granddaughter goes with her school every week to the local pool for lessons.
All primary schools must provide swimming instruction during either Key Stage 1 or Key Stage 2 (typically delivered between Years 3 and 6). Because it is a statutory requirement, parents cannot choose to withdraw their children from these lessons.

She also has lessons at the local pool which her parents pay for.

fancythat Mon 01-Jun-26 14:17:57

How can we make our children safe in the water if they don’t know their own capabilities.

We cant. In my opinion.

I live nearish to water.
I see far too many children lark about far too much around water.

Only thing I can think of to help, which may make a difference, is a National Government campaign.
Are these even done any more?

Quizzer Mon 01-Jun-26 14:14:11

Ok I can’t spell TRAGEDIES

Quizzer Mon 01-Jun-26 14:11:01

Today we hear the tragic news of the 15th person to drown during the recent heatwave.
So many young (and older) people believe that they can swim well enough to enter cold open water safely.
I used to coach at a swimming club and I was told by so many parents and children that they could swim, when in fact the couldn’t even swim the width of the pool without stopping to put their feet down!
Add to that the danger of cold water shock which incapacitates even good swimmers and many have never heard of it.
It costs my son, a gifted swimmer, £40 to take his family to their local pool or £250 for one child to do a six week course.
How can we make our children safe in the water if they don’t know their own capabilities.