Hot weather attracts many visitors to the swimming pool.

During peak hot weather, the number of visitors flocking to swimming pools to cool off increases dramatically, especially on weekends. As many parents choose swimming as a relaxing sport and a way to improve their children's health, ensuring safety at swimming pools needs to be a priority.

Despite the scorching heat, even at just 8 a.m., the number of people flocking to the swimming pool at the Mai The He Sports Center ( Ninh Binh City) was increasing rapidly, forcing the ticket checkers to work urgently and tirelessly. Ms. Hanh Nguyen (Tan Thanh Ward, Ninh Binh City) said that since the end of the school year, she had been looking for a place for her daughter to swim during the summer. After surveying the prices, she found that the entrance fees to several swimming pools she frequented had increased compared to last year. Therefore, Ms. Nguyen decided to invest in a 100-session swimming package at the year-round swimming pool at the Mai The He Sports Center. The pool is spacious, well-equipped, and very clean, divided into two areas: one for swimming lessons and swimming, and another for children's play.

"These past few days have been very hot, so I've taken my children swimming almost every day. Although the pool entrance fee isn't cheap and they sell it in packages, the pool is still very crowded. Knowing that the pool gets crowded on weekends and between 5 PM and 6:30 PM, I usually take my children swimming earlier on weekdays. They're very excited to go swimming to relax. However, the large crowds at the pool do somewhat affect their long-term swimming training," said Ms. Nguyen.

Ms. Binh, over 60 years old, still maintains a weekly swimming routine. She and a few friends purchased an annual swimming package at the Mai The He Sports Center swimming pool and regularly swim three times a week. However, during the summer, especially during the peak of the hot season, Ms. Binh swims almost every day. Ms. Binh shared: "We swim year-round to maintain our health. In the summer, we bring our grandchildren along to learn to swim. Because in the summer, most of the pool's patrons are young children, safety is paramount. The pool has dedicated lifeguards and water level warnings in each area to ensure the safety of swimmers. Therefore, we feel very secure."

Mr. Tung, an employee of the Mai The He Sports Center, said that due to its year-round functionality, the swimming pool attracts visitors all year round. However, the number of visitors increases significantly starting from mid-May, averaging hundreds of visitors per day, with the busiest time being from 5 PM to 6:30 PM, especially on weekends and hot days. In addition to providing swimming lessons, the center also offers swimming lessons upon request with qualified instructors. To ensure customer satisfaction, the pool water is always kept clean, with a continuously operating vacuum cleaner and water filtration system.

In particular, ensuring safety at the swimming pool is a top priority, and the pool has strictly implemented safety regulations and drowning prevention measures during operation. There are always two or more lifeguards on duty at the pool. The pool area is marked with depth markers, and lifebuoys are placed along the pool. Due to the hot weather and large number of customers, all staff members are working at full capacity.

As for Ms. Tran Thi Ly from Phuc Thanh ward, she registered her child for a swimming course at the 1/6 Swimming Pool, Provincial Youth and Children's Center, right from the beginning of summer. Ms. Ly shared, "From the beginning of the year, I planned to have my child learn to swim this summer. Therefore, as soon as the school year ended, I registered my child to participate, hoping that my child can swim well by the end of summer." Although the swimming pool is not as large as many other pools, it is only for swimming lessons in the morning and only opens to the public in the afternoon. Therefore, even though the number of visitors increases sharply on hot days, it does not affect the children's swimming lessons.

Mr. Dam Van Hai, Director of the Provincial Youth and Children's Center, said that the 1/6 Swimming Pool is mainly used to organize swimming lessons for children. In the morning, there are 6-8 swimming classes, each with 10-20 children. In the afternoon, the pool opens to welcome children for free swimming at a price of 20,000 VND per session. With a very reasonable price, the number of children swimming each day is very high, ranging from 100-200 people per day. The number of children swimming is even higher on hot days or weekends. To better meet the increasing demand of customers, the swimming pool has continuously invested in upgrading its facilities, equipping it with a complete water filtration system, changing rooms, showers, and assigning lifeguards to be on duty throughout the day…

"Summer is a time for parents to let their children relax after a year of hard work at school. Many extracurricular classes are opened during the summer to provide beneficial activities for children. However, swimming is still considered the most popular choice for parents this summer. Besides improving and upgrading swimming pool facilities, we are also preparing human resources to meet the demand for swimming lessons for children. In addition to teaching swimming at the pool, the Center also cooperates with many localities and schools to organize classes to raise awareness and guide children on drowning prevention and safe escape skills in water. Through this, we hope to contribute to minimizing drowning accidents among children," said Mr. Dam Van Hai.

Dao Hang-Minh Quang

Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/nang-nong-be-boi-hut-khach/d2024061409288782.htm