The festive season brings a familiar rhythm — families reunite, laughter fills the air, and cherished activities like swimming become the highlight of the holidays.
For many, swimming offers the perfect escape from the heat, a chance to unwind, and an opportunity for children on school holidays to bond with their families. It seems harmless — until it isn’t.
In rural areas, children flock to rivers, dams, and ponds, eager to cool off and impress their friends with their swimming skills. For urban dwellers, swimming pools — whether public or private — become the go-to spots.
Yet, what begins as innocent fun can turn tragic in mere moments, and the danger isn’t limited to children; adults are at risk too.
A study conducted in Australia highlights a chilling trend: the highest number of drowning deaths occur in December and January, coinciding with festive breaks.
Although the data is from a faraway continent, the pattern mirrors what happens locally.
In Kenya, drowning incidents spike during the holiday season, transforming moments of joy into unimaginable heartbreak.
Earlier this week, government authorities identified high-risk areas and issued cautionary alerts to those planning coastal getaways.
Lamu County Kenya Red Cross Society Coordinator Abdulhakim Mahmoud, in a previous interview, emphasized the importance of vigilance.
"Children should never be left alone, especially around water,” said Mr Mahmoud.
According to a groundbreaking World Health Organization (WHO) report on drowning prevention, drowning is a global public health crisis. In 2021 alone, an estimated 30 people drowned every hour, totalling over 300,000 deaths worldwide.
The report also revealed that a quarter of all these fatalities occur among children under the age of five years, with half of drowning deaths occurring before the age of 29 years. Comparing numbers to the global drowning rate published in 2000, there has been a 38 per cent drop in the drowning rate.
“The significant decline in drowning deaths since 2000 is great news and proof that the simple, practical interventions that WHO recommends work,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
“Still, every drowning death is one death too many, and millions of people remain at risk,” he added.
The findings of the report show that while there is global progress, the drop is uneven. For instance, while the European region saw a 68 per cent drop, Africa registered a three (3 per cent) per cent drop, making it the region with the highest deaths accounting for 5.6 per 100,000 people.
This variance, the report shows, is influenced by a lack of national strategies to reduce cases of drowning.
Kenya, which according to WHO lost at least 896 individuals to drowning in 2022, lacks a national drowning strategy that would oversee the prevention of alcohol consumption near water bodies and intervention measures like the provision of rescue and resuscitation training programmes.
“Of concern, 86 per cent of countries lack laws for fencing around swimming pools, which is key to preventing child drowning in certain settings. Only 66 per cent of countries mandate lifejacket use for recreational boating and transport on water,” the report showed.
To prevent drowning, the WHO recommends responses such as the provision of safe places away from water for preschool children, training on rescue and resuscitation techniques and strengthening public awareness of drowning.
"Avoid swimming in unfamiliar places or areas where there have been previous incidents of drowning. And never leave children unattended. If you find yourself in such a situation, the first instinct might be to thrash around in panic, but this uses up energy and causes you to sink faster. Breathe deeply if possible, and focus on staying calm. Panic is your worst enemy in the water,” said James Mungai, a Nairobi-based swimming instructor.
“If you can’t float, tread water by moving your legs in a circular “bicycle” motion and using your arms to keep yourself upright. Treading water conserves energy while keeping your head above the surface to breathe. Shout for help, while returning to tread water,” he added.
