KOCHI: With summer vacation on, parents see to it their wards learn a few life skills which might come in handy with swimming classes attracting the majority of such students. In the aftermath of a boy drowning in one such camp, the question of safety has come to the forefront.
Even as thousands of children undergo swimming classes during the vacation in Kochi, there are no norms ensuring the safety of young lives. P Dileepan, Regional Fire Officer, Fire and Rescue Service, said children should be sent to coaching classes which have enough trainers who keep an eye on every single child undergoing training. “We are not aware of any guidelines ensuring the safety of the children undergoing swimming classes. However, usually in summer coaching classes, the number of students in each batch will be very high. In such situations, the trainers are probably unable to look after each child. Apart from it, there should also be safety equipment like life jacket, tubes and ropes to rescue children in distress without any delay,” he said.
However, Suresh Menon at the Life Aquatic Club at Edapally says the case of the boy drowning is a highly unfortunate and an isolated incident as most of such facilities follow stringent safety precautions as an untoward incident destroys an institution’s credentials. “A ratio of one lifeguard to 10 students, pools with varying depths, floating props and well-trained instructors are a norm in the industry,” he said.
Saji Thomas who gives free swimming classes in the Periyar in Aluva said the presence of parents when their children undergoing venture into water is important. “We strictly direct parents to be present along with the child when classes are held every day. We also have an ambulance ready to rescue children and be taken to a nearby hospital in case of an accident,” he said.
“The children were given training in holding their breath while swimming or going underwater for a short while. However, it took more time for Anal to come up to the surface. Soon, trainers pulled him up and performed first aid to retain his consciousness. However, the child was in visible distress when the first aid was given,” a police officer said.Though shifted to a private hospital nearby, he was declared brought dead around 8.30 am.
The body was later shifted to Ernakulam Government Medical College for completing postmortem procedures. The body was handed over to relatives in the evening.“We are waiting for the postmortem report to know the reason behind the death. In the preliminary probe and from the statements of eyewitness, no negligence from the part of trainers was received. However, a conclusion can be drawn only after completing the detailed probe. A case under section 174 of CrPC for unnatural death has been registered,” said a police officer.
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