Correct actions to avoid drama

2024-08-12 08:11:15

Rising temperatures and heat waves are synonymous with an increase in drownings each summer. According to France’s public health authorities, incidents decreased at the beginning of summer due to weather conditions, but increased in the second half of July. The instinct to avoid this is just that: prevention.

Yes, try to calm down, but don’t risk your life. Meteo France placed 40 departments on orange heatwave alert on Monday. There are fears drownings will increase as hot weather returns. The French Public Health Service (SPF) recorded a 22% increase in the number of incidents in the last 15 days of July compared with the same period in 2023 (June 1 to July 31).

The latest announcement from the French Public Health Service (SPF) pointed out that the overall number of drowning incidents dropped by 16% compared with the same period in 2023, mainly because weather conditions were less conducive to swimming than in the first few weeks last year.

When the mercury rises, sectors closer to the seafront are clearly the most affected. As a result, the Var department recorded 40 drownings in July 2024 (612 nationwide). More broadly, There have been 10 drownings on the Côte d’Azur since July 1. This is three times higher than the same period in 2023.

“We will not act as lifeguards on an ad hoc basis”

“The best response is prevention,” Axel Lamotte, communications manager of the French Federation of Lifeguards (FFMNS), insisted in an interview with BFMTV on Monday, August 12.

“Water is not our element, neither adults nor children. It is an extraordinary element to practice any activity. We were surprised by the performance of the swimmers[at the Paris Olympics]. But it is always a surprise.”

Extra caution is needed with children, the group of members of the public most affected by the risk of drowning, as they are often unaware of the dangers involved or take advantage of their parents’ negligence. “The best thing is to be in the water with your child, somewhere you can stand.” However, he warns, “as rescuers, we cannot improvise”.

Don’t overestimate yourself

For adults, again, prevention can prevent dramatic situations. “We swam along the shoreline, right where we stood, under watch orders, between two flags, and in pairs.” For what? “There is always someone who can stop or help the victim feel uncomfortable and bring them back to the brink.

You shouldn’t think you’re a better swimmer than you actually are. “There could be temperature differences, water level differences, currents,” recalls Axel Lamott, “and we were always surprised.”

So what do you do if you can’t get to the beach? Axel Lamotte once again recalls advice that bears the stamp of common sense but is often ignored. For adults, you have to “swim along the shoreline, where you don’t have to swim to the 300-meter buoy.” Leon Marchand didn’t want to do that.

Apparently, “if we head out to sea recklessly, we will seek help.” But we must remember that lifeguards must be able to “reach the victim and bring them back to the edge,” which “still takes several minutes” and can be “fatal” for a swimmer in distress.

Train yourself to take life-saving actions

What about when there are no rescuers? “You take a towel, wet it, throw it away, and drag the victim to a place where they can get a foothold.”

Axel Lamot also called for the democratization of “Sécu’Nage”, the training provided by first responders, divided into three levels.

The first level is knowing how to save yourself. The second level is that I can swim. At the third level, we teach young people to save their neighbors.

A real public health issue. According to France’s public health authorities, the 2023 seasonAmong them, children under 6 years old account for 30% of drowning victims.

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