Maria David
A TOTAL of three drowning incidents were reported in the Omusati Region in a time span of ten days.
The three fatal incidents occurred while the victims were either trying to fetch water or in the company of those fetching water from NamWater’s open water canal between Calueque in southern Angola and Oshakati.
They are: Atanasius Indileni Mukwiilongo (5), Wilbard Iita Elago Mweshininga (30) and Amon Pombili Kasper (4).
Monarch Lifeguard and Emergency Services founder, Martin Muyenga, said that incidents of drowning in the canal are now becoming worrisome.
He stated that children, pensioners and people under alcohol or drugs and non-swimmers should ensure that they do not wander around water canals.
“A water canal can be deep and accidentally falling into it could prove fatal,” he said.
He added that a canal may have undertows and turbulences that drag a person underwater.
Muyenga exhorts parents and care-givers not to allow children around a canal. “Never allow the young ones to jump into the canal in an attempt to rescue their pets or toys if they are not competent swimmers,” he said.
He added that it is important for any community to have trained water canal watchers for emergency rescue purposes.
“Learning to swim is one of the best drowning prevention measures,” he stressed, adding that canal temperature drops in winter, which causes body stiffness so that a person cannot move or swim to safety.
According to the World Health Organization, there are an estimated 236 000 annual drowning deaths worldwide.
WHO indicated that children, males and individuals with increased access to water are most at risk of drowning.
Drowning is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury and death in the world.
