In recent days, when the closing bell sounded, students entered summer vacation with excitement, temporarily leaving books. They are easily attracted by outdoor games, especially going to ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams to cool down on hot days.
The drowning incident in Song Lo commune, Phu Tho province in mid-May 2026 killed 5 students. The heartbreaking event turned childhood joy into tragedy, pushing many families into tragedy.
The incident once again sounded a red alarm about the responsibility of adults, especially parents, in protecting their children from drowning.
What is worth mentioning in this heartbreaking story is the gap in the management of children when they are off school at home.
Many parents, because of making a living and being busy with farming and business, have been negligent and lacked close supervision of their children's schedules.
In the work of preventing drowning for children, schools and society play an educational and propaganda role, but family is the first and most solid "shield".
In the summer, children gathering to play is inevitable. Parents need to clearly understand the schedule, friendships and destinations of their children during the summer vacation.
Before going to work, parents need to arrange caregivers or carefully instruct their children, absolutely do not let them freely invite each other to play in ponds, lakes, and rivers without the management of adults.
Learning to swim should be considered an essential skill equivalent to learning culture. Instead of prohibiting it, families should actively invest in having their children participate in swimming classes.
Ms. Vu Thi Ngoc Ngan - a resident of Xuan Lung commune, Phu Tho province - shared: "After the tragic incident in Song Lo commune, I registered for my children to learn to swim, I am really worried because there are many ponds and dams near my house.
According to Mr. Nguyen Huu Do - a swimming teacher and coach at Ngo Quyen Secondary School, Hai Phong, parents should let children learn to swim early and equip themselves with more aquatic survival skills instead of just learning basic swimming movements.
Parents need to remind their children not to go swimming in ponds, lakes, rivers and streams on their own and must know how to handle incidents. Knowing how to swim alone is not enough, the important thing is to know how to protect yourself" - the coach emphasized.
Along with that, parents need to talk and point out the potential dangers at "black spots" of drowning such as rivers, streams, deep ponds or construction sites.
Analyzing tragic accidents like the case in Phu Tho for children to hear is not to sow fear but to help children understand the seriousness and form self-defense awareness.
During the summer vacation, parents regularly educate, remind and build children's awareness of risk prevention to help them know how to protect themselves from spontaneous play temptations.
Each family needs to put care, close attention and proactively equip their children with skills, so that they have a truly safe and useful summer vacation.
