In daily life, children and students are often exposed to many different water environments such as ponds, rivers, lakes, swimming pools, wells, ditches, etc. Any water environment has potential problems. There is a risk of drowning, but special attention should be paid to the following areas:

• Water bodies in villages, hamlets, and residential areas
• Household water storage objects such as tanks, wells, jars, buckets
• River
• Lake
• Sea
• Pool
• Flood

Water bodies in villages, hamlets, and residential areas

In villages and hamlets in rural areas, there are often many ponds, small rivers, streams, canals, etc. flowing around villages or agricultural irrigation holes but often without warning signs and safety barriers. This is where children and students often come and go, gather to play and have a very high risk of drowning.

Tanks, wells, jars, buckets, and pots for storing water in the home

Although they are indispensable items to serve every family’s daily activities, if adults do not close the lid carefully or accidentally leave water in buckets or basins, it can also cause drowning for children of this age. Preschool. There have been many cases of young children drowning in family water buckets and basins, even in preschools (although this is very rare).

Read below:

• A 2-year-old boy put his head down in a bucket of water and died in the nursery
• Going out with his parents for Tet, the boy fell into a Koi fish pond at a cafe and died
• Case of two children drowning in the swimming pool at the villa: The other victim died

River

A river is a stream of water with a large volume of water that regularly flows. The main source of water supply for the river is from lakes, rivers, streams, canals, and small rivers flowing in at higher altitudes. Our country has 9 large river systems, distributed throughout the territory and bringing many benefits such as hydropower development, irrigation, alluvial deposits, aquaculture and exploitation, transportation, and tourism. However, in the rainy season, water in rivers also causes difficulties and damage such as flash floods, pipe floods in mountainous areas, floods in the plains, which Can cause drowning, especially for children and students.

The river basins in the North have gradually lower surfaces, small rivers, tributaries, streams, and streams are fan-shaped and only flow into two large rivers, the Red River or Thai Binh River. At the same time, because the rainy season comes early with a large amount of water and lasts a long time, the flood water rises quickly, falls slowly, and the flood duration lasts long. Rivers in the Central region often have narrow river beds and steep slopes, so when there is a lot of rain, it can easily cause rapid floods, causing flooding in the downstream areas. Floods in the Mekong Delta flow through flat terrain, many low-lying areas, with strongly developed vegetation and many tributaries and lakes to regulate and drain floods, causing floods to rise slowly and recede slowly.

Read below:

• Inviting each other to bathe in the river, two boys in Quang Ninh drowned and died
• 3 children in Gia Lai drowned and died while bathing in the river

Lake

A lake is a large and deep area of stagnant water inland, usually a river section blocked by geological changes, most of which are freshwater lakes. There are two types: natural lakes and artificial lakes.

Natural lakes or ponds, canals, ditches, etc. It has different sizes and depths in each area, and is the habitat of many species of creatures. These areas are also where many human activities take place such as fishing and aquaculture; trade, exchange of goods, transportation;. However, the work of ensuring safety here is difficult to cover completely.

Artificial lakes often have a large area, with dams to retain water to serve hydroelectric plants, provide water for daily life, irrigation, tourism, and flood control. However, dams and artificial lakes also have impacts on the ecosystem such as generating methane gas (a greenhouse gas that causes climate change), accumulating toxic substances, deforestation, and the risk of dam failure.

Sea

The sea is a large area of salt water, connecting water bodies of the Earth.

The sea has good effects on human health such as: sea salt has many micronutrients, mineral salts, is clean and has very few bacteria, good for health, especially for the respiratory system, strengthening and preventing osteoporosis; has the ability to treat diseases of the ear, nose, and throat. Increases senses when moving in sea water and walking barefoot on sand. Helps firm the body, clean and smooth skin, reduce stress. The sea is people’s favorite place to play and vacation.

However, the sea is characterized by waves, tides, and complex flow regimes, posing many potential risks. During peak season, beaches are often crowded with people playing and swimming, so safety risks often occur. At the same time, the rip current is also a danger that requires high vigilance.

Read below:

• 9 teenagers were swept away by waves, 2 died while swimming in Da Nang
• Tragic drowning cases have continuously been recorded on many beaches

Pool

A pool (or swimming pool) is a type of construction or device used to store water in still form for swimming. Swimming pools are a relatively safe place to swim, however in the summer the number of people going to swimming pools often increases and the risk of hazards can always occur.

Read below:

• The student drowned because the teacher was busy typing on the phone, the swimming expert was “nervous”
• Investigating the case of a 7-year-old boy who drowned at District 12 swimming pool

Flood

Flood is a phenomenon where water rises, the flow speed in rivers and streams exceeds normal levels, flows rapidly for a certain period of time, then gradually decreases. Floods are usually caused by heavy, continuous rain occurring in the river basin or coming from upstream. In our country, flash floods and pipe floods often occur in mountainous areas or near slopes such as at the foot of hills or in valleys.

Flood is a phenomenon that occurs when rising water overflows river banks or breaks dikes that prevent water from entering areas lower than the river’s surface (at that time), flooding houses, fields, gardens, trees, roads, etc. .. Floods are often caused by floods.

Flooded areas often pose many safety risks. Floodwater carries many pathogens and is easily spread. There is also the risk of landslides, destroying transportation infrastructure, roads, and sweeping away everything on the way. Every year, floods take the lives of many people. Therefore, detecting, responding and equipping yourself with safety knowledge is extremely necessary.

Read below:

• The unfinished summer of 3 female foreign trade students
• The couple was swept away by floodwaters for 5km

Source: Department of Physical Education – Ministry of Education and Training