When will the drownings stop? Another four young children die in weir in Surin

[webfact]

Daily News Thai Caption: Four dead!

 

Daily News reported yet another mass drowning of young children in the North Eastern region of the country.

 

It was a reminder in a country where motorcycle accidents now rival death from drowning, that in years past drowning was always the number one cause of death in children under 15. 

 

Pol Capt Kowit Thongphen of the Kap Choeng police in Surin were called after four children aged 10-12 went missing while swimming.

 

Six children had gone swimming to celebrate after a ceremony in the village to celebrate the building of a new tarmac road into the community.

 

Four had gone swimming while two remained on the bank. These two couldn't swim and were helpless.

 

They rushed off on a motorcycle to alert village elders but by then it was too late.

 

The story did not explain in any detail what exactly happened to the children.

 

Divers fished out the bodies some while later.

 

Picture: Daily News

 

As relatives gathered and consoled each other on the bank there were heartfelt scenes as rescue workers helped the bereaved and administered first aid to people who fainted in grief.

 

Such a tragedy after the happy cultural event in the village must have been traumatizing. 

 

A picture published by Daily News showed the tragic scene yesterday. 

 

 

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[Almer]

Children will be children, education in the classroom would help 

[jak2002003]

Young children with no adult supervision, swimming in a weir, some can't swim, riding illegally on a motor bike. 99% did not have crash helmets........

 

Then families and people are surprised and heartbroken asking how something like this could happen...even after they know full well children are drowning each year or getting killed in motorbike accident s? What is wrong with people?! 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

It's all about education and absence of responsibility.

 

The education part: Life skills need to be taught in schools; particularly water safety and road safety. These are more important skills than anything else a child will learn.

It's difficult to ’teach swimming’ because many village schools do not have the facilities - but, water safety can still be taught.

Children will be children and stopping them from doing these things is always going to be difficult, so educate them of the risks; teach them that they could die if they go in the water, teach them what to do if they get into trouble, educate them about the steep sides they may not be able to exit from etc, teach them how to use anything nearby to help assist others in difficulty (ropes, branches etc).

 

And this is where the responsibility comes in: those in positions of decision making power take no responsibility in these tragic events. They [those in positions of power] could impact some change with instigation of very basic systems, measures and messages in schools and on TV. 

 

 

 

[ikke1959]

Implement swimmingclasses in the primary schools and get the parents of their phones and watch their kids....

[Owiee]

19 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

It's all about education and absence of responsibility.

 

The education part: Life skills need to be taught in schools; particularly water safety and road safety. These are more important skills than anything else a child will learn.

It's difficult to ’teach swimming’ because many village schools do not have the facilities - but, water safety can still be taught.

Children will be children and stopping them from doing these things is always going to be difficult, so educate them of the risks; teach them that they could die if they go in the water, teach them what to do if they get into trouble, educate them about the steep sides they may not be able to exit from etc, teach them how to use anything nearby to help assist others in difficulty (ropes, branches etc).

 

And this is where the responsibility comes in: those in positions of decision making power take no responsibility in these tragic events. They [those in positions of power] could impact some change with instigation of very basic systems, measures and messages in schools and on TV. 

 

 

 

Excellent comment and 100% correct, education, responsibility, accountability, ownership and discipline, would all go a long way to  addressing several issues. 

[roo860]

11 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

Implement swimmingclasses in the primary schools and get the parents of their phones and watch their kids....

Of course all village schools have their own swimming pools.

[JCauto]

Probably what is required is a PSA from the government teaching the population about the serious danger that exists from weirs. The government has had several programs over the last 5 decades to construct many low-cost weirs around Thailand, particularly in the Northeast. These are appropriate structures and help with supplementary irrigation and water supply. However I have never seen any indications or standard signage or other provisions within the design to warn local people about the dangers of the backwash area at the downstream end of the weir. As per this article (https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Weir):

"Weirs are particularly dangerous to humans - and are thus commonly called "drowning machines".^[8] Particularly, the circulating "backwash" of water behind the weir is easy to get trapped within, and if a swimmer or boater is caught within this cycle escape and rescue is incredibly difficult. Additionally, debris that can be trapped within this cycle of water can pose harm to anyone trapped behind the weir."

"Weir safety: fact sheet", Seqwater.com.au, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.seqwater.com.au/sites/default/files/2019-09/Seqwater%20fact%20sheet%20-%20What%20is%20a%20weir.pdf.

[richard_smith237]

10 minutes ago, roo860 said:

23 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

Implement swimmingclasses in the primary schools and get the parents of their phones and watch their kids....

Of course all village schools have their own swimming pools.

Agreed....  Most schools do not have swimming pools....  But, water safety can still be taught. 

 

We used to take ‘life saving’ in the UK... half of the classes were always dry side... 

Taught first aid, CPR, electrical safety etc  as well as life saving itself... 

 

Then there was the pools side classes which taught us to use clothing etc to stay afloat - of course, everyone could already swim by then. 

 

 

Without access to a pool there is always going to be a huge gap in essential life skills - but and understanding of the risks and dangers can still be taught. 

[Hans Johnson]

This is sad story with the loss of unsupervised children which is common here. 
 

We have children swimming in the klong  behind my house and About two years ago I cold hear a young child crying and found two in the water clinging to the edge, one about 2 years old and pulled them out. We took them to the community head with the story with my wife complaining about the situation of children swimming there. I did not get a thank you for saving the children or the parents come to the house. My wife is angry as the children still swim there. 
 

They need to educate communities and schools of the dangers of entering water if they cannot swim.

[ChaiyaTH]

When will corruption end, same question and answer. Swimming lessons are just 1 part of this, a kid can even drown in 30-40CM water, if the adults never properly look after the kids, which in many cases is the real reason of this happening.

[Catoni]

  People who don’t want to make sure their children become excellent swimmers when they begin to walk, shouldn’t be having kids. 
ESPECIALLY if they live near water. 
  It only takes two or three minutes for tragedy to happen in water to a child who does not know drown-proofing or how to swim. Or ANYONE who doesn’t know drown-proofing or know how to swim. 
 There is not much sadder than pulling the limp, lifeless, not breathing body of a little boy or girl out of the water, And then the family has to make funeral arrangements. 

Edited September 12, 2022 by Catoni
Addition.

[ChaiyaTH]

1 minute ago, Catoni said:

  People who don’t want to make sure their children become excellent swimmers when they begin to walk, shouldn’t be having kids. 

They would love to if swimming classes were even around their area or for free, but kids would stil drown, due to the lack of proper supervision. Plenty of them drown even they could swim.

Edited September 12, 2022 by ChaiyaTH

[SymS]

I just had to look up what a weir was... But I remember getting a bit to close to one in Indonesia, in a place for tourists where they rent inflated tires to swim down stream, and the current close to the weir is quite strong. Locals started shouting and waving hands, and I managed to reach the shore despite by poor swimming skills. The weir was two or three meters high, and falling on the rocks on the other side would have definitely hurt or more.

[Catoni]

25 minutes ago, ChaiyaTH said:

They would love to if swimming classes were even around their area or for free, but kids would stil drown, due to the lack of proper supervision. Plenty of them drown even they could swim.

I might be wrong, but I bet a lot less would drown if they knew how to swim. 
     You don’t need professional swimming classes. Anyone who knows how to swim can teach a kid to swim.   Just like anyone who knows how to read can teach reading.  (I taught my own three children to read fluently before they started grade 1 using a $30 book on phonics) 

   I would have taught them how to swim myself, but we had a YMCA just a bit of a drive away. They learned how to swim shortly after beginning to walk. They even had “water babies” classes before that.. to learn to relax in 10 foot deep water and roll over on their back and float. A life saving skill for babies.  
  Parents could teach their kids to swim in any shallow slow moving little river or creek.  You do not need a swimming pool. 
   When I became a parent….to me the most important responsibilities was, make sure they learn to swim, make sure they learn to read, make sure they learn to safely cross the street, make sure they say “No” and run from strangers, make sure they respect the police, make sure they learn to floss and brush and care for their teeth. And get them regular health checkups. 

Edited September 12, 2022 by Catoni
Addition

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Not one school I ever went to in Canada ever had a swimming pool yet somehow we still all managed to go to swim class. I'll give some of the slower posters on here a bit of time to figure out the logistics of how that might be possible...........

[Aussieroaming]

RIP and condolences. Same thing happening year after year here.

[JimmyJ]

 "When will the drownings stop?"

 

When they give swimming lessons.

 

I realize that is unrealistic, but an hour at school -  with parents attending - discussing water safety would hopefully discourage some from swimming alone without an adult swimmer present and watching them.

 

But then it is clear that the under 15 year old kids drove off to get help on a motorcycle. 

i assume the parents knew, so is there any hope to stop needless deaths of children here?

[Sparktrader]

2 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

Young children with no adult supervision, swimming in a weir, some can't swim, riding illegally on a motor bike. 99% did not have crash helmets........

 

Then families and people are surprised and heartbroken asking how something like this could happen...even after they know full well children are drowning each year or getting killed in motorbike accident s? What is wrong with people?! 

 

 

 

 

Whats wrong with people is 50% have a low IQ. The drownings and road deaths will never stop.

[VocalNeal]

2 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

Young children with no adult supervision, swimming in a weir, some can't swim,

When I was young we used to go swinging on a rope tied to a tree above a river. Nobody ever mentioned not being able to swim and I am sure my parents never knew.

Only difference being we cycled there.

Edited September 12, 2022 by VocalNeal

[Burma Bill]

Forget all the reasons why, let us not forget 4 young Thai children drowned in tragic circumstances causing much distress among their families and friends. RIP young ones. 

[Essaybloke]

2 hours ago, Almer said:

Children will be children, education in the classroom would help 

Exactly, like compulsory swim classes for primary school children. I'm thinking here of the Australian model.

[klauskunkel]

Quote

When will the drownings stop?

It will stop when adults take their responsibilities towards children seriously and supervise the heck out of them. Also goes for kids left in vehicles and all kinds of other predicaments. The parents may think that if the kids are going to swim with a group, they would be all right - but nope... They need to be supervised, if the parents can't do that for whatever reason, then the kids can't go swimming.

[NemoH]

We should build more communal swimming pools .. so painfully sad…

[papa al]

They will be re-incarnated in 7-10 days so ... .

[Sparktrader]

20 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

It will stop when adults take their responsibilities towards children seriously and supervise the heck out of them. Also goes for kids left in vehicles and all kinds of other predicaments. The parents may think that if the kids are going to swim with a group, they would be all right - but nope... They need to be supervised, if the parents can't do that for whatever reason, then the kids can't go swimming.

Licence to drive

Should be licence to have a child 

[spidermike007]

I have never understood the aversion Thais have to both learning how to swim, and teaching, or making sure their kids get taught how to swim. It takes 15 minutes to learn basic survival skills in water. 15 minutes!

 

A friend of mine told me he offered to teach a friend's daughter how to swim, in his pool, when they were over the house. The grandmother was so scared, she forbade it. And it was totally safe. So easy, so simple to learn. Fear can be an incredible thing, and it can be your worst enemy, if you let it.

 

There is so much water here, it should be mandated learning in school. 

Edited September 12, 2022 by spidermike007

[IamNoone88]

Very sad. No supervision. I clearly remember those aweful cartoon public education adverts in the UK ... telling us all "don't be like Dave" and "to learn to swim young man". Cheesy as they were and the aweful freezing weather ... we all learnt to swim.

[roger101]

2 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Implement swimmingclasses in the primary schools and get the parents of their phones and watch their kids....

60 years ago we had swimming lessons once a week for 11 and 12 year olds. Mind you we only had about a 1/2 kilometer from school to walk.

It's going to be a lot harder here  when public swimming pools are almost non existent and private ones (hotels) wouldn't what a lot of local kids in their pools.

[Kalasin Jo]

3 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

Young children with no adult supervision, swimming in a weir, some can't swim, riding illegally on a motor bike. 99% did not have crash helmets........

 

Then families and people are surprised and heartbroken asking how something like this could happen...even after they know full well children are drowning each year or getting killed in motorbike accident s? What is wrong with people?! 

 

 

 

 

No brains?