Learning to float and swim prevents the risk of drowning

[webfact]

 

Drowning is one of the major causes of death worldwide with over 2.5 million deaths reported in the last decade, according to statistics compiled by the World Health Organization. To raise global awareness of the loss of life, the UN General Assembly Resolution of April 2021 set July 25 as the annual World Drowning Prevention Day.

 

Globally, children aged 1-4 years are the group with the highest drowning rates, followed by youngsters aged 5-9 years.

 

This sad loss of life has also been observed in Thailand, with the Public Health Ministry reporting that in the past 10 years, drowning caused 35,915 deaths, or an average of 10 deaths per day. Of this number, 7,374 or at least two per day are children. Alarmingly, the number of deaths rose significantly during the COVID pandemic.

 

WHO continues to raise awareness about drowning. The key message couldn’t be clearer: Anyone can drown, but no one should.

 

To mark World Drowning Prevention Day, Sondee School, a small primary school in Ayutthaya, with support from the Sod-Nian Kurmarohita Foundation and the Thai Life Saving Society recently held a three-day activity to teach its young students the basics of swimming.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/learning-to-float-and-swim-prevents-the-risk-of-drowning/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-07-25

 

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[EVENKEEL]

What profound wisdom - swimming reduces chance of drowning.

[BritManToo]

9 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

What profound wisdom - swimming reduces chance of drowning.

Most drownings happen between age 1 and 4, so learning to swim not really applicable.

Twice as many men can swim than women, yet most adult drownings are men.

 

I'm not convinced learning to swim makes that much difference.

Swimmers put themselves in more danger than those sitting on the side watching.

Avoiding all water is safer than learning to swim, if you ain't in it, you can't drown in it.

Edited July 25, 2023 by BritManToo

[Gottfrid]

"Learning to float and swim prevents the risk of  drowning"

 

Now we are making Sherlock look bad again.

[EVENKEEL]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Most drownings happen between age 1 and 4, so learning to swim not really applicable.

Twice as many men can swim than women, yet most adult drownings are men.

 

I'm not convinced learning to swim makes that much difference.

Swimmers put themselves in more danger than those sitting on the side watching.

Avoiding all water is safer than learning to swim, if you ain't in it, you can't drown in it.

But these little toddlers who drown are most time victims of parents eating som tam, sticky rice and whisky instead of being a doting parent.

[hotchilli]

Don't swallow water prevents drowning.

[Bday Prang]

                  My missis says most of the kids in the village can't swim and a good proportion of the adults too; one guy recently had his application to join the police refused because he couldn't swim, 

                  I asked her "how come the kids can't swim ?

                  her reply was "there is nobody to teach them "   

                 So I said" there must be some one in the entire village that can swim", 

                 she replied "probably is but there is no swimming pool to learn in"

                 "So why don't they teach them in the ponds where they spend a lot of of their  time playing  in the school hols"

                She gave me one of her "don't be stupid" looks   "Can't be done in a pond , not the same,  waters not the same, and  there's no steps to get in and out"    

                  All this dialogue was in Thai, but she then turned to face her mother and an animated conversation took place in Khmer which ended in them  both laughing whilst looking at me and shakin their heads

 So that's one reason why many don't swim

 

[phetphet]

On 7/25/2023 at 1:45 PM, BritManToo said:

Most drownings happen between age 1 and 4, so learning to swim not really applicable.

Twice as many men can swim than women, yet most adult drownings are men.

 

I'm not convinced learning to swim makes that much difference.

Swimmers put themselves in more danger than those sitting on the side watching.

Avoiding all water is safer than learning to swim, if you ain't in it, you can't drown in it.

Able to swim or not, kids will be kids and often play by rivers, lakes, ponds etc. Not forgetting the amount of coastline Thailand has.

 

Just being able to doggy paddle a few yards can be enough to save someone's life.

 

I'm more surprised it's just one school doing this. 

[jacko45k]

10 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

She gave me one of her "don't be stupid" looks   "Can't be done in a pond , not the same,  waters not the same, and  there's no steps to get in and out"    

Comical and sad..... they cannot learn to swim in a place they are likely to drown!

[swerve]

Swimming should be taught to all school students as an important life skill.  The earlier the better.  I taught swimming lessons for years and children are able to swim well (travel 50 metres) at ages 3 and up.  The challenge for Thailand is that there may not be swimming pools in many places.

[proton]

Never learned to swim even after being taken by relatives and school lessons, so keep well away from pools and the sea.

[ChipButty]

On 7/25/2023 at 1:38 PM, EVENKEEL said:

What profound wisdom - swimming reduces chance of drowning.

I bet you never thought of that?

[fondue zoo]

On 7/25/2023 at 4:45 PM, BritManToo said:

Most drownings happen between age 1 and 4, so learning to swim not really applicable.

Twice as many men can swim than women, yet most adult drownings are men.

 

I'm not convinced learning to swim makes that much difference.

Swimmers put themselves in more danger than those sitting on the side watching.

Avoiding all water is safer than learning to swim, if you ain't in it, you can't drown in it.

 

Well sure maybe for some, but I can't make do with a whore's bath every day.

 

Edited July 27, 2023 by fondue zoo

[ChipButty]

Now that would be a good move for the next none corrupt government, to build public pools in many villages or contact any hotels with pools that could be made available a couple of times a week for school kids, 

I have stayed in a few hotels up in the north and never seen anyone using the pools, maybe the poo yai baan could pay the cost for the use, I know they would have to have capable pool attendants and life saving skills,