Dubbo Photo News

Swim instructor urges all ages to stay safe near water

- By NATALIE HOLMES

A TRAGIC river death near Geurie last weekend is a timely reminder that safety is paramount when it comes to water.

Speaking about swimming safety in general, local Austswim teacher Karen Martin said there are many dangers associated with waterways.

“People don’t have enough respect for water,” she said.

“Lately there has been unnecessar­y drownings. There’s still a lot of people who believe it’s not going to happen to them.

“There’s no second chances. Without checking before going into the water, you could die or become a paraplegic for the rest of your life.”

Karen is passionate about water safety and believes that learning to swim and being aware of the dangers is vital for people of all ages.

She says that complacenc­y can become an issue, especially when parents rely on pool toys to keep their children safe in the water.

“Don’t ever rely on a device that’s been mass-produced on a production line to save your child. Never leave your child in the water to use the device without checking them properly. Whether they have a device or not, you have to give them 100 per cent attention.”

Drowning can occur anywhere there is water and Karen points out that even children’s inflatable pools can be a death trap.

“It can happen in a bird bath in the backyard if there is water in it. A blow-up pool can be 30cm deep – so tip out the water after you use it or put a pool fence around it. I also think they should never be allowed in your front yard where anyone can come along.”

Although an advocate of learning to swim, Karen doesn’t believe that the onus should be on schools to include swimming lessons in the curriculum.

“A lot of pressure is put on schools to do swimming lessons but as a parent, I think that’s where the responsibi­lity lies.

“Thousands of other things are taught in school but my parents were responsibl­e for my swimming lessons.”

At the same time, Karen believes that it should be compulsory for all school-aged children to be taught to swim.

“It’s a family responsibi­lity, you can’t rely on school swimming programs.”

Families that find it difficult to afford swimming lessons really need to review their budget to make room for this vital skill to be learnt by their children.

“It should never come down to money.”

Have fun but know the risks: that’s the message from the Royal Lifesaving Society. It’s important to understand the dangers and risks of the water and not to rely on pool toys as safety devices.

Items such as noodles, floaties, dive rings, kickboards and beach balls are a lot of fun but they also have dangers to be aware of.

They can make a child seem more competent in the water and give their parents a false sense of security and lead them to be tempted away from active supervisio­n.

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 ??  ?? Austswim teacher Karen Martin teaching swimming and water safety to Chloe Brown. Karen says learning to swim is a family responsibi­lity – “you can’t rely on school swimming programs.” PHOTO: DARCEE NIXON
Austswim teacher Karen Martin teaching swimming and water safety to Chloe Brown. Karen says learning to swim is a family responsibi­lity – “you can’t rely on school swimming programs.” PHOTO: DARCEE NIXON

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