Vigilance is the only way to prevent drowning

ACTOldFart says:

06:51am | 12/01/10

Man, that was some shark attack!!

acker says:

08:20am | 12/01/10

Teaching kids to swim should be compulsory in all Australian schools.
Newcomers to our country if they cannot swim (adults & children) should be given swim lessons on their arrival. We are surrounded by sea and most of us live on the coast or near a river….unless disability prevents us, we all need to know how to swim.

BULMKT says:

09:26am | 12/01/10

Teach kids to swim is the only way to prevent drownings.

and make it the absolute responsibility of the parents to watch their kids.

FYI
I live in an apartment building and one afternoon coming back from a beach run, I found 3 kids under 5 playing unsupervised in the pool. I asked the eldest where her parents were and she pointed to a fourth level apartment where I could see a bunch of adults talking and drinking. No wonder kids drown when they have dickheads for parents.

Jolanda says:

09:42am | 12/01/10

I must say that I agree.  Parents need to be vigilant.  Too many times I have seen parents turn thier back on a pool whilst chatting when they have little children with them in the pool area and I cannot believe that they could be so blase about their children’s life.  There seems to be something that humans are missing these days - it could be common sense.

I have 4 children and even when I didn’t have a pool, from a few months old I was in the pool with them in mums and bubs swimming lessons to teach them how to at least turn and float on their back or make their way to the edge if they should happen to fall in.  It was a pain in the butt I can tell you but you do not get another go at life - if you die you are dead.

Education - Keeping them Honest
http://jolandachallita.typepad.com/

Brendan says:

10:46am | 12/01/10

acker, how about people take responsibility for it themselves.  It’s not up to US to teach everyone to swim.  If you live near a snowfield, do you HAVE to know how to ski?  Don’t go IN is the easiest way to avoid drowning.  And WATCH yuor kids if they are in the pool/water/river….

acker says:

12:43pm | 12/01/10

@Brendan 11.46am ...would you prefer that US keep providing bodybags and rescue searches for the unprepared children that have not been taught to swim ? Like those recent arrival to Australia African refugee kids that were caught in a storm surge last week.
Beleive it not Brendon when it rains sometimes places that were dry become wet and sometimes kids are caught up in them.
By the way what is your issue about teaching swimming at school ?

We do have an exsisting topic called Phys Ed that it would come under

Albie says:

02:44pm | 12/01/10

I was flabbergasted when, at about age 22, I discovered that not all Children learnt how to swim at school. Swimming was a key part of PE from kindy in the NSW state system when I was there and it just makes so much sense it hadn’t occurred to me that it would be different elsewhere.

Of course, other countries have addressed the problem of people not being able to swim differently: in Chicago by the lake (which, in summer, is a highly pleasant swimming environment) lifeguards are in small row boats about 5 metres from the beach and are charged with preventing anyone from going more than waist deep.

I can still remember my confusion and then indignation at being hauled back into shore after swimming out a mere 20 metres. Were there dangerous marine creatures? No. Was it a boating area? No.

What I didn’t realise at the time was that the vast majority of the African-American population in Chicago (and yes, I know this is a generalisation but this is what the lifeguard told me) can’t swim, and that it’s easier to protect them by preventing them from going into the water.

If only they had been taught in school instead…

acker says:

03:46pm | 12/01/10

It’s not like Australia has a shortage of swimming pools available to teach kids to swim in

Sam Chowder says:

04:47pm | 12/01/10

I don’t think the guy in the picture will make it

tc says:

10:19pm | 12/01/10

Dont make the mistake of thinling a swimming pool is anything like the ocean. Learn to swim and learn to swim in the sea

acker says:

11:48am | 13/01/10

@tc 11:19pm ....the most important thing is that people including kids just learn to swim full stop.

Carl Palmer says:

05:21pm | 14/01/10

No brainer - the majority live near water and it should be mandatory in schools. 

I would highly recommend kids becoming nippers. It is the most educational thing you can do for your kids and yourself. They do their nipper thing and you do your bronze medallion and the parental water safety.

After they gain their proficiency they are tough all aspects of the beach / surf. They are taught how to spot a rip, different types of waves, safety –  they get their B medal. When they start to compete they are taught to find the rip and to swim with it – it’s the quickest way out. Once at the buoys swim across and when heading for home, find a wave and bodysurf your way in. Simple and they do just that.

In addition they also end up giving something back to the community when they do their surf patrols – helping others.

The ability to go to a beach and notice where the safe and dangerous spots are is invaluable.  Mine have got it and have used it but there should be more….

relay says:

05:06pm | 15/05/12

don’t think the guy in the picture will make it either