It's incredibly sad to hear these regular stories of youngsters drowning here - sometimes multiple deaths when they try to help their mates.
When I visit my wife's village I see a lot of fish ponds with very steep muddy banks. I imagine it would be difficult for a child to climb out.
Growing up in the UK we spent a lot of summers playing in canals, rivers, and reservoirs unsupervised, but I can't recall any drownings (although I do recall a few drownings of kids caught in tide currents at the beach, even with their parents nearby). I guess the difference is that most of us could swim. Is there such a thing as public baths here?