Seasonal Drowning Syndrome

What is ‘THE SEASONAL DROWNING SYNDROME’? It is the MISCONCEPTION by parents that their children will only drown during the summer season either in the swimming pool or on the beach.

What happens to hopefully prevent this MISCONCEPTION? Parents scuttle like crazy trying to find a Swimming Teacher or Swimming Instructor who will ‘magically’ teach their children to swim ‘quickly’ before swimming in the pool or going to the beach.

Another MISCONCEPTION! Children only drown in large bodies of Water.

How are we made aware of ‘THE SEASONAL DROWNING SYNDROME’? Every year from September to December the media dramatically places great emphasis on Water Safety Awareness, the need for children to learn to swim, and report drowning. We read about how ‘other people’s children drown’ and have ‘pity’ for the parents.

Whose responsibility is this really? It is ‘always’ the parent’s responsibility at all times to learn and to teach Water Safety Awareness hints within and without the home THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, to ensure their child/children learn to swim. There is no shortcut or quick method. When a child drowns they are gone forever and it could be yours. It is not fair for a child to experience death by drowning through suffocation in water due to the parent’s negligence. Should a child drown it is the parent’s fault regardless of whose care the child is in. DROWNING IS NOT SEASONAL!

Instructing safety in and around water does not mean that children will remember, not when they are having fun. Therefore, always KNOW WHERE THEY ARE, never ASSUME they are safe and always keep them WITHIN ARM’S LENGTH. Your excuses are never acceptable and will never bring LIFE back to a drowned child.

Do not ASSUME a Swimming Teacher’s qualification ensures knowledge, experience, and the vital education needed by you and your child/children. A good Teacher will teach safe practice in and around water throughout the year in a pristine, healthy, safe, warm, well-managed, fun yet quiet environment. Choose a Teacher for the best, safest education for your child/children.

Learning to swim is a life skill, healthy and fun! Live Water Safety each day of your life!

A comment from Penny Heyns about the website www.childrenswimming.co.za ‘Water safety is a fundamental life skill and as such your website serves as a very important resource for all who need instruction and inspiration to be safe and have fun in a healthy way’.

The website www.childrenswimming.co.za is a RESOURCE WEBSITE (available knowledge) free of charge except the time you need to browse it.

Contact THE CHILD ACCIDENT PREVENTION FOUNDATION OF SOUTH AFRICA for a list of Swimming Teachers/Instructors in your area.

Arlene Williams
Teacher/Consultant Life Skills in Water
+27 (021) 786 5659
+ 27 (0)73 641 0813