2023-06-02 09:00:10
In Tyrol’s pools and at the bathing lakes, it’s back to full activity. Children and young people show major deficits when it comes to swimming. Many adults don’t even know the basics. There is a huge lack of suitable courses. The “Krone” provides data and facts and a refresher course in first aid.
For non-swimmers, the pool quickly becomes a trap and the lake a death sentence. The danger is even more pervasive for children – even a paddling pool can be fatal to them. 14 people drowned in Austria this year, two of them children. In the years before that, the number fluctuated between 22 and 47. But anyone who thinks that the non-swimmer problem will take care of itself because “nowadays everyone can swim anyway” is wrong. One in ten adolescents between the ages of five and 19 cannot swim in this country. If you include adults, seven percent of Austrians over the age of five are considered non-swimmers, as surveys by the German Road Safety Board (KfV) show. That’s around 600,000 people who might not be able to save themselves if they fall into cool water. In Tyrol 65,000.School swimming lessons are not a panaceaJohanna Trauner-Karner, Head of Sports and Leisure Safety at the KfV, sees part of the solution to the lack of swimming skills in school courses – but only part. “Swimming lessons at school cannot fix everything, as it is often only a few hours,” emphasizes the expert. “Ideally, children learn to swim as early as possible, even before school.” This requires either parents with the time and ability, or inexpensive courses so that children from socially disadvantaged families can also have access to them. According to the government program, “free swimming courses would be for everyone ” intended. According to Trauner-Karner, however, this ambitious promise is still a long way off. Stumbling blocks are financial and human resources, but also the pool infrastructure. The 148,000 non-swimmers among the students alone would need 9,000 courses to make up for their deficit. Due to the pandemic, many swimming units in the gymnastics lessons have been canceled and have to be made up for. Not professional swimmers, but at least safe In view of the high number of non-swimmers, the aim is to teach strategies for tricky situations. “Children don’t have to become professionals, but they have to be able to save themselves on the bank or the edge of the pool,” explains Trauner-Karner. Getting used to being in the water is also important. That way you can react better under stress.Nevertheless, even experienced paddlers shouldn’t be careless: It’s never a bad idea to take a buoy with you in the open water, after all you can run out of strength even in the smallest pond.Permanent damage after three minutesParents should be in the swimming pool, at the lake, but also pay special attention to their children at the pool in the garden. The “Krone” researched how to prevent a drowning accident and how first aid works for the offspring in an emergency. The top priority is, of course, “Never leave children unattended near water. So avoid distractions from cell phones or in-depth conversations with others,” says Michael Stock, head of operations at the Tirol water rescue service. “Permanent damage can occur after three minutes,” warns Stock. “It’s essential to search the surface of the water first!” The best protection against drowning is, of course, for the child to learn to swim as early as possible. “This is a big problem because of the indoor swimming pool dying in Tyrol,” complains the operations manager. In your own garden or on the terrace, it is important to secure the pool or paddling pool well. “If you lose sight of the child in the swimming pool or at the lake, you should definitely search the surface of the water first.” But what if the child drowns? Here, the experts from Austria’s public health portal advise checking consciousness and breathing. If breathing is normal, the child must be placed in the stable side position. Until the rescue workers arrive, check breathing regularly and cover the child to avoid hypothermia. Ventilate first, then follow cardiac massage. If there is no breathing, start resuscitation immediately! This looks like this: First, give the child five ventilations. Mouth-to-nose resuscitation is required for babies and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for children over one year old. This is followed by cardiac massage. Squeeze 30 times at a rate of 100 to 120 times per minute. The pressure point for all children is in the lower half of the breastbone. Children over one year use both hands to press, and babies and toddlers use one or two fingers. “The thorax has to be pressed in three to five centimeters,” Stock explains. This is followed by two ventilations and another 30 cardiac massages. This continues until the rescue arrives or the child shows signs of life again. “Since first aid is very strenuous, you should take turns,” concludes the operations manager.
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