Water police patrol to prevent drowning in hot season

Summer is the time when children are off school and have more time to play, but this is also the time when there is a high risk of accidents and injuries, especially drowning - one of the leading causes of death for children. In response to this risk, the Hanoi Waterway Police has stepped up propaganda and guidance to ensure traffic safety on the river.

On the afternoon of May 14, the working group of Waterway Police Team No. 2 (Traffic Police Department of Hanoi City Police) after a few minutes of discussing work and assigning tasks, quickly deployed forces to patrol the Red River, in the areas of Long Bien, Tay Ho and Dong Anh districts (Hanoi). The patrol took place under the golden afternoon light spreading over the Red River.

Working group of Waterway Police Team No. 2 patrols the Red River.

The patrol boat gradually slowed down as it reached Vinh Ngoc commune (Dong Anh district, Hanoi), where many people of all ages were swimming in the river to cool off, despite the danger of drowning.

The image was recorded by CAND Newspaper reporters at a spontaneous beach in Vinh Ngoc commune on the afternoon of May 14.

People with "homemade buoys" from a plastic can.

Mr. Tran Van H. (residing in Vinh Ngoc commune) shared: “It’s so hot that every afternoon I bring my children here to bathe to cool off. There are many people here and the water is not too deep, so I don’t think it’s too dangerous.”

However, according to local people, even in seemingly "safe" areas, accidents can still happen at any time due to underground currents or the unexpected depth of the riverbed. Every year, there are still many tragic drowning cases recorded at uncontrolled river bathing spots. In particular, the most vulnerable groups are teenagers and children, those who do not have safe swimming skills and lack knowledge of how to handle incidents in the water.

Waterway police officers used loudspeakers to notify people to leave the spontaneous beach to ensure safety.

The children left for shore after being reminded by the police.

Mr. Nguyen Van Ng. (residing in Vinh Ngoc commune) said that people gathering to bathe in the river comes from their personal need to "cool down" their bodies on hot summer days and he himself is no exception. However, he also realized that the risk of drowning accidents is real, no one can predict when an accident may happen, so in addition to the authorities patrolling, controlling and propagating, people themselves also need to raise their safety awareness.

Sharing with CAND Newspaper reporters on patrol, Lieutenant Colonel Dinh Ngoc Dao (Deputy Captain of Waterway Police Team No. 2) said that every summer, spontaneous swimming beaches appear everywhere, attracting dozens, even hundreds of people every afternoon. Worryingly, not only adults but also children are taken to the river by their parents to swim without life jackets or basic rescue equipment.

Authorities propagate drowning prevention skills and the dangers of spontaneous river bathing to people.

Faced with the above situation, the unit has maintained regular patrol teams in coordination with local authorities and local police forces to carry out special tasks, to propagate and remind people to ensure waterway safety and prevent drowning. However, the subjective awareness of a part of the people has made this work difficult, even in some cases there is an uncooperative attitude, resistance, and avoidance of the authorities.

From practical experience in the work, the unit realized the importance of disseminating to each residential area, neighborhood group, and school about drowning prevention skills and the dangers of spontaneous river bathing. Some communes and wards have established rapid response teams, distributed free life jackets, and assigned people to be on duty at hot spots.

Water police patrol the Red River.

"The unit regularly coordinates with the Commune Police and associations and organizations to visit each household along the river to mobilize and sign a commitment not to let children bathe in the river. At the same time, coordinate with related units to inspect, detect and promptly prevent violations," Lieutenant Colonel Dinh Ngoc Dao shared.

Swimming in the river to cool off on a summer day is not a bad thing, however, people need to do it in licensed places, with rescue forces and safety support equipment. Every citizen and every parent needs to raise their awareness, do not let just a few moments of relaxation turn into a tragedy due to subjectivity about the risk of drowning on a summer day.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/Giao-thong/canh-sat-duong-thuy-tuan-tra-phong-ngua-duoi-nuoc-mua-nang-nong-i768395/