Living close to the seashore during boyhood days meant plenty of fun, especially during summer days.
Boys and girls in the neighborhood often trooped to the beach, especially early in the morning or late in the afternoon to play tag, castle-building and other sand games. There was plenty of swimming, too.
At times, when the tide was low, we gathered sea shells, which were cooked for steaming-hot soup at dinnertime.
I remember that one morning before fourth grade classes started when seven of us decided to push a small fishing boat to the water for an “expedition”. Unknown to us, the boat was set by its owner for a leak repair on its stern.
Off the boat, originally designed for two fishermen, sailed to the deeper part of the waters, its seven passengers having the thrill of their young lives.
About 50 meters from shore, we noticed water seeping in at the bottom, which led to a slowdown and eventual loss of buoyancy.
Panic started to envelop us, as the bigger boys tried to steer the boat back to shore.
The leak must have been a big one that in a minute or two, the boat was filled with water that we had to jump into the sea before it was fully swamped.
“Just do the doggy paddle,” one of the older boys shouted. And that’s what I did, remembering the survival technique my elder brothers had told me as most of us were not good swimmers then.
I was almost out of breath as I shoved that final kick heading toward shore with the “God, please save me” prayer. And then I felt my feet hitting the bottom, that I was able to stand, the water on my neck level.
Exhausted, all seven of us lay prone on the sand after we walked off the water – with an unforgettable lesson learned.
A similar near-drowning incident took place, too, in that coastline also during my childhood days. I will write about it sometime soon.
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Those near-tragic incidents reverberated in my mind especially last week when World Drowning Prevention Daw was observed on July 25.
The observance of the day was declared in 2021 by the United Nations General Assembly. It serves as an occasion to underscore “the tragic and profound impact of drowning on families and communities.”
It also offers life-saving solutions to prevent it.
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The following are facts and figures UN shares to highlight the significance of the July 25 global observance:
• Drowning is a leading cause of accidental death.
• Every year, an estimated 236,000 people drown, making drowning a major public health problem worldwide.
• Drowning is one of the leading causes of death globally for children and young people aged 1-24 years.
• It is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death, accounting for 7% of all injury-related deaths.
UN further said that the global burden of death from drowning is felt in all economies and regions, however:
• Low- and middle-income countries account for over 90% of unintentional drowning deaths;
• Over half of the world’s drowning occurs in the WHO Western Pacific Region and WHO Southeast Asia Region;
• Drowning death rates are highest in the WHO Western Pacific Region (which includes Philippines) and are 27-32 times higher than those seen in the United Kingdom or Germany, respectively.
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The following World Health Organization data are just as significant in drawing attention to the phenomenon:
• Drowning takes about 30 lives every hour – and almost a quarter of them are children under the age of 5.
• Globally, it is among the 10 leading causes of death for children aged 5-14 years.
• More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in rivers, lakes, wells, domestic water storage vessels and swimming pools in low- and middle-income countries, with children and adolescents in rural areas disproportionately affected.
The theme of this year’s observance was, “Unite To Turn the Tide.”
To give substance to the theme, the Global Strategy for Drowning Prevention called on every sector to one goal: Unite to reduce drowning by 35% by 2035.
“Closing the gap depends on all of us doing our part – every person, in every place, in every context,” it said.
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UN, on its part in the turning-the-tide campaign, called on various sectors to focus on the need for immediate and coordinated multi-sectoral initiatives by, among others:
• Installing barriers controlling access to water
• Providing safe places away from water such as crèches for pre-school children with capable childcare;
• Teaching swimming, water safety and safe rescue skills;
• Training bystanders in safe rescue and resuscitation;
• Setting and enforcing safe boating, shipping and ferry regulations;
• Improving flood risk management.
With these measures in place, the goal becomes attainable to a large extent: that drowning is a highly preventable public health challenge through effective and widely-supported strategic efforts. | NWI
