According to the Irish Water Safety Association, 30 children aged 14 under drowned accidentally in Ireland over the last five years. The association has now launched a Primary School Water Safety CD Rom.
The resource will be delivered to every primary school in the country today with the objective of making basic water-safely education part of the primary-school curriculum for the first time.
Fifty-one people drowned accidentally in 2003. Irish Water Safety has identified the 14 and under age group as a high-risk group. Children are naturally curious around water and are at risk of drowning every day. Roger Sweeney of the Irish Water Safety Association has the following advice for parents this summer.
"If you are swimming with your children this summer choose places that are lifeguard patrolled. There is a full list of lifeguard patrolled sites on our website (www.iws.ie). Sometimes the more scenic spots along the coast are dangerous, so don't take children into uncharted waters. Lakes, pools and rivers are all potentially hazardous too."
Sweeney also reminds parents to remember drowning hazards in the home - ponds, paddling pools, slurry pits and even plain old buckets, which can gather rainwater and pose a risk to toddlers.
