Drownings

[wjwren]

Unfortunately it's that time of year when there seems to be a large increase in drownings. I can understand quarrys but the latest one in the sun today showed a young lad 16 I think who died in a river. Maybe an underwater current.

[Far Cough]

Do they teach this life skill any more at schools ??

[Evanivitch]

Porthcawl RNLI were out on half a dozen call in the last 36 hours.

The main culprits being inflatable toys and Stand-up Paddle boarders.

[Biggy Stardust]

Darwinism.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Biggy Stardust said:

Darwinism.

fking hell, it really isn’t.

Are there a lot more uneducated people enjoying the UK’s waters this year? Undoubtably yes.

But the teenager who drowned last week was swimming in the same place I did as a kid and I’m still here.

We were maybe lucky, we were maybe stronger swimmers but most folk who don’t swim in fresh/open water apart from in their overseas holidays have never felt what it’s like to hit a hidden cold water current on a 20+ degree day in the U.K.

Staycations during the pandemic just mean the numbers might be greater who are exposed to the risks.

Darwinism, pfft. Say that to the face of the parents who buried their son on Eid this year.

[anonymous-user]

i nearly drowned a few times as a kid, spent most of my childhood swimming in scottish rivers. The more you practice the better you are, I think a lot of these people, the only water they have been in is their bath water.

Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 23 July 19:04

[Johnnytheboy]

Should start showing the single scariest public information film ever again:

[turbobloke]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

Darwinism, pfft. Say that to the face of the parents who buried their son on Eid this year.

That would be insensitive.

Stating a view in a forum is different, surely you realise that. People are entitled to express a view whether we agree or not.

It's similar to 'would you say that if it was one of your family' = emotion over reason.

[Biggy Stardust]

turbobloke said:

That would be insensitive.

Stating a view in a forum is different, surely you realise that. People are entitled to express a view whether we agree or not.

It's similar to 'would you say that if it was one of your family' = emotion over reason.

Thank you even if you disagree.

Kids in particular have had H&S remove any risk from their lives and with it any appreciation for danger. They therefore test the depth with both feet & come unstuck. It's unfortunate but it's not the sensible ones that are victims.

[Liokault]

My kids swim in a very small local river every day in the summer. It’s chest deep in some places but mostly it’s not past their hips.

Swimming last year a older local woman stopped by to tell up that she used to swim in the same place as a kid…then one day her friend drowned in that spot, so she stopped.

[Flip Martian]

Not just rivers and freshwater - coastguards have already been warning people to research tides and currents and be careful at beaches as 9 or 10 have died in coastal drownings this Summer.

[red_slr]

There is a reason swimming pools have life guards and underwater CCTV cameras.
If you get into trouble in water you need help fast - 10-20 seconds can be it.

I have no issue with people messing about in water, its no different from climbing trees or cliffs etc. Unless you are really mentally challenged then the risks are obvious.

Start jumping off high objects into water and the risk goes up quite a bit.

[towser44]

wjwren said:

Unfortunately it's that time of year when there seems to be a large increase in drownings. I can understand quarrys but the latest one in the sun today showed a young lad 16 I think who died in a river. Maybe an underwater current.

Near to us that one and it's a fairly deep river with some strong, random currents in places. I wouldn't like to fall in it and there's always kids jumping/swimming in it around here.

[wombleh]

13 year old died in a lake here last week, was in waist deep with her friends, with the adults stood on the edge, and stepped off an underwater ledge into a deeper area. Horrible accident.

[BabySharkDooDooDooDooDooDoo]

Probably doesn’t help that swimming pools were closed most of last year and this year.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Biggy Stardust said:

turbobloke said:

That would be insensitive.

Stating a view in a forum is different, surely you realise that. People are entitled to express a view whether we agree or not.

It's similar to 'would you say that if it was one of your family' = emotion over reason.

Thank you even if you disagree.

Kids in particular have had H&S remove any risk from their lives and with it any appreciation for danger. They therefore test the depth with both feet & come unstuck. It's unfortunate but it's not the sensible ones that are victims.

I rest my case;

Liokault said:

My kids swim in a very small local river every day in the summer. It’s chest deep in some places but mostly it’s not past their hips.

Swimming last year a older local woman stopped by to tell up that she used to swim in the same place as a kid…then one day her friend drowned in that spot, so she stopped.

And shouting out a popular internet insult such as "Darwinism" with no other comment, don't try and and contort it into a higher meaning just because you've been called out on it.

Kids have died in open water since time began. We still have bell ends (especially those ones who post on internet forums) so his theory has a long way to go yet

[oyster]

BabySharkDooDooDooDooDooDoo said:

Probably doesn’t help that swimming pools were closed most of last year and this year.

This. Another consequence of lockdown to come in future years as less kid’s able to swim as normal.

[KAgantua]

Someone died in maidstone in medway recently

Rip

[paulguitar]

Johnnytheboy said:

Should start showing the single scariest public information film ever again:

That scared the st out of me 40 years ago, as did the one of the kid running on the beach where it ended as he was about to put his foot on a broken bottle...

[Flip Martian]

paulguitar said:

That scared the st out of me 40 years ago, as did the one of the kid running on the beach where it ended as he was about to put his foot on a broken bottle...

The film did its job then! Same for me. I wonder how today's society would react if those were made today.