Equipping minimalist swimming skills
These days, according to Lao Dong reporters, at swimming pools in the city and districts in Thai Binh province, there are always many parents bringing their children to swim and swim.
The harsh, hot weather right when students have a summer break seems to keep swimming pools crowded with people. Not only giving their children a cool shower and warm-up, most parents also want to help them learn swimming, practice swimming, grasp necessary and minimal skills to prevent and avoid the risk of drowning.
Taking his daughter to a large swimming pool in Vu Thu town to learn to swim, Mr. Trinh Khac Duan (residing in Hoa Binh commune, Vu Thu district) shared that due to the hot weather, every afternoon he took the opportunity to take his children here for at least 1 hour, to take a cool bath, cool down with them, and instruct them to learn basic swimming.
"The children are basically the same, all like to cool down and swim, but they do not have the knowledge, swimming skills, or water contact. Therefore, it is extremely necessary for adults to guide and instruct the children. After teaching my children basic movements, I will later register them for a short course so that they can be guided more carefully and meticulously by teachers, both to cool down in the summer and to be equipped with minimum swimming skills," said Mr. Duan.
Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong (residing in Tran Lam ward, Thai Binh city) also took his son to swimming school with his teacher for nearly a week now. He said: "Studying with teachers is really something I absorb and progress faster. Now he has started to know how to swim in basic swimming styles, and is getting used to higher swimming styles".
Prevention and control of drowning is one step ahead
The 116 Rescue Team has been famous in Thai Binh for many years because it has organized searches and participated in the rescue of thousands of tragic drowning incidents that occurred in Thai Binh and many provinces and cities.
Understanding the pain and irreparable loss caused by drowning, every year the team always organizes many free swimming classes for about 500 children and students to equip children with swimming knowledge and drowning prevention skills.
On June 9, just a few hours after the announcement of opening a free swimming class, the team received hundreds of registrations from parents...
According to statistics from authorities, from the beginning of 2025 to now, there have been 18 drowning incidents in Thai Binh province, causing 20 deaths (including 8 children).
The main reason is due to negligence in direction, lack of synchronization in implementation, limited drowning prevention skills of parents and students...
In this situation, the Chairman of the Thai Binh Provincial People's Committee has recently issued a directive on strengthening the prevention and control of drowning accidents, especially for children and students.
The Directive requires heads of departments, branches, unions, People's Committees of districts, cities, communes, wards and towns to step up propaganda in the community, schools and families to raise awareness, responsibility and equip skills in preventing and fighting drowning.
Review risk areas, install barriers and warning signs; increase inspection of swimming pools, beaches, and playgrounds with water elements, and only allow operations if safety is ensured.
Organize training and coaching on first aid skills, safety skills in the water environment for students, parents, medical staff, teachers, rescue forces, etc.
