DROWNING ACCIDENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20760, 31 December 1930, Page 10

DROWNING ACCIDENTS.

One of the melancholy items of the season's news is that which records drowning accidents. The public may be inclined to regard this loss of life as inevitable, but while some fatal bathing accidents may be inevitable, the fact remains that they are taking an unnecessarily large toll upon human life. Last year no fewer than 126 people in New Zealand lost their lives through accidental drowning. The toll of the motor was not much greater, the deaths through motoring accidents being 178. In so many cases of drowning the victim has possessed youth and virility, and only the lack of a slight knowledge of swimming has caused his death. The obvious thought is that there should be wider instruction in swimming. In Auckland it is almost second nature for a child to swim. The reason is that there are generous facilities and a high sense of responsibility in this matter among parents and school teachers. The student; teachers are all highlyqualified, many of those of past years having acquired the knowledge at some cost to themselves. But they realised that as teachers they should be aide to impart sufficient knowledge to their pupils that would save them from grave risk. On Milford beach the Life-saving Society maintains a volunteer squad solely for the safety of bathers, and its members are deserving of the thanks of the public. But enough is not being done. All swimmers know that nonswimmers, particularly if they are adults, are loath to display their ignorance of the art, and so there is need for swimming clubs to offer instruction. Where there are no swimming clubs, those who can swim might be at some pains to teach at least the rudiments to those who might lose their lives in some small creek any day. In every place where swimming water exists, no matter how limited, there are swimmers quite competent to teach others and only a little initiative is required to bring people to willing instruction. If Swimmers generally keep in mind the fact that over 100 lives were needlessly lost by drowning last year, they will feel impelled to do what they can to reduce this rate of pathetic wastage in the future.