– We need to talk more about the fact that drowning can be prevented, says general secretary Grete Herlofson of the Rescue Company. Summer is high season for swimming and boating. But unfortunately also for drowning accidents at sea. On Saturday, a 15-year-old boy was picked up by the air ambulance after ending up under water on Hovedøya in Oslo. On the same day, a young girl lost her life when she was cut off from the electricity in Gjerstad in Agder. The municipality has closed the bathing area after the fatal accident. A teenage girl died after she was disconnected from the electricity while swimming in Gjerstad on Saturday evening. The next of kin are looked after by the municipality’s crisis team. Photo: Leif Dalen The statistics are going the wrong way In the first half of the year, 41 people lost their lives in drowning accidents in Norway. That’s two more than at the same time last year, the rescue company’s drowning statistics show. The statistics for the month of July will not come until August. Grete Herlofson in the Rescue Society believes that it is very important to talk about drowning and that it can be prevented. Photo: Jonathan Vivaas Kise / Rescue company It has not been the highest summer temperatures in many places in July, but Herlofsen still fears the outcome. – We have seen some bad drowning accidents in recent days. And we know that the more people who use the sea, the greater the chance of drowning accidents. Herlofson believes that to a much greater extent than what we do today, we can prevent so many people from drowning. – Use a life jacket. That’s advice number one, two and three. Should you end up in the sea, you will float if you have a life jacket on. It is also important to know the vest and know that it is properly fitted, to ensure that it works when it needs to. Photo: ScanStock The rescue company has several pieces of advice for those traveling at sea this summer: Don’t swim alone, but tell others where you are going. Do not combine boating and alcohol. – We know that the ability to react is much lower if you have alcohol in your blood. And the traffic picture on the lake is much denser now than it was 20 years ago, says Herlofsen. Thinks we need to get better at swimming Oskar Øvstedal is one of many who on Sunday was tempted by a boat trip in the fine summer weather in Oslo. He is clear that he always takes his precautions at sea: – We always put safety first. Always west. Properly installed and functional. Martin Ytterstad believes that people are generally good at thinking about safety at sea. – But we have a lot to go on. There are many people who don’t swim well, he says to news. Skipper Christian Strøm of the Rescue Company confirms that we have a lot to go on when it comes to swimming skills in Norway. The fact is that Norwegian ten-year-olds have the worst swimming skills in the Nordic countries. – That is why we also have a campaign where we work towards children becoming safe in water, he says to news. Skipper Christian Strøm confirms that the rescue skates have a lot to do in summer. Photo: news Strøm says that it is important to use safety equipment at sea, and to know your equipment well. – There are some who drown even if they are wearing a vest, and the reason is that the vest is not properly on. – Take care of each other Last year, 79 people died at sea in Norway. 74 of them were men. Grete Herlofson in the Rescue Company says that most drowning accidents take place completely silently, contrary to what many people think. CHALLENGING CONDITIONS: The bathing area where a young girl lost her life in Gjerstad on Sunday is described as a place with a lot of current, which can be difficult to predict for people who do not know the area. Photo: Leif Dalen / news – That is why it is extremely important that we take care of each other when we bathe and use the sea. Say where you are going, be aware of others. Make sure children are no more than an arm’s length away. – Because it can happen very quickly and actually very quietly, so it can be difficult to detect, she adds. Published 21.07.2024, at 21.18
ttn-69
– We can prevent to a much greater extent – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
