Efforts to prevent child drownings in summer intensify with swimming lessons, free pools
Photo: AA
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Every summer in Turkey, incidents of children drowning in irrigation canals, rivers and other sources are witnessed frequently. In the latest incident, which took place yesterday in the northwestern province of Kocaeli, a 15-year-old drowned despite all efforts by rescue teams.
To prevent such incidents, officials in various cities provide swimming lessons to children and open swimming pools. Children are receiving free swimming training from coaches and instructors in existing pools and portable pools set up for that purpose.
In Diyarbakır, five new indoor pools have been opened this year alone, according to Aydın Çetin, the director of sports services at provincial Youth and Sports Directorate. He stated that all remaining districts also have portable pools and that the project will continue throughout the year, not just for three months.
Swimming lessons at school
Muzaffer İşlek, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) Director in Şırnak, revealed that in the last ten years, 36 people have drowned in areas posing risks during the summer months. AFAD has been providing training in schools throughout the year to eliminate drowning incidents.
In Urfa, apart from pools under the administration of the Governorship and Metropolitan Municipality, as well as district municipalities, the Youth and Sports Directorate is operating 51 portable pools that offer free services. Swimming coach Mehmet Akyol said they provide training to children and youth and also form a performance group for talented children, participating in competitions.
Batman has seen the construction of 12 swimming pools, and the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSİ) provides training at all schools while conducting awareness campaigns in villages located near irrigation channels.
Training 3,500 children a day
In Siirt, every year, swimming coach Halil Taş opens courses with high attendance rates, providing swimming training under the supervision of coaches. They offer training to 3,500 children daily in four pools.
In Adana, the majority of drowning incidents occur in irrigation canals. The Youth and Sports Directorate's Muzaffer Çintimar mentioned that they have 15 pools, including 11 portable ones, and this year, they have provided training to approximately 38,000 children.
Hakkari aims to teach swimming to 5,000 children this year. The Youth and Sports Directorate's Emin Yıldırım said they have already provided swimming education to 1,000 students in just 15 days.
Swimming coach Mahir İdem noted that they introduce children aged between 5 and 18 to swimming and offer basic training lessons. For those interested, they also teach different styles and prepare them for competitions, nurturing successful athletes in the process. (AÖ/VK)