Fiery New Short Stories Illustrate the Importance of Water Safety
“An estimated 236,000 people drown every year, and drowning is among the ten leading causes of death for children aged 5-14 years. More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in rivers, lakes, wells, domestic water storage vessels and swimming pools in low- and middle-income countries, with children and adolescents in rural areas disproportionately affected.”
World Health Organisation (WHO)
With World Drowning Prevention Day approaching on the 25th July, Garry Seghers DSTA, the Technical Director for the Vietnam Swimming & Lifesaving Company (VSLC), has written three short stories for children, to help raise awareness of how to stay safe in and around the water.
Titled the ‘Blue Dragon Emerging from the Water’, a famous sequence from Chen Style Taijiquan which Garry practises, the illustrate stories follow a family of dragons, and their time at the swimming pool, on the river and at the beach, and the problems they have in and on the water. Rescues are assisted by the Blue Dragon and performed by his friend the Lifeguard Dragon.
Following the three stories there is a chapter that summarises the important lessons to be learnt for each story. Also included is the UK Water Safety Code with the important ‘Float to Live’ message.
Garry also suggests for those teaching water safety, that the stories can be followed up with practical demonstrations of reaching and throwing rescues, and the final chapter provides examples of rescue scenarios. These can be achieved in the classroom/dry land situation, or at the swimming pool or a normal swimming location.
