Tag Archive for: drownalliance

, ,

Important Ice and Cold Water Safety Tips

ice-cold-water-safety-tips-ndpa

Winter comes and goes with flurries of snow, ice, and cold water each year– three things nobody should ever take lightly. Whether you plan to be near the water or not, cold water can be dangerous, especially if you are unprepared. 

Winter activities like ice skating, ice-fishing, and boating are fun, but to keep them enjoyable, your safety should always be your number one priority. Knowing what can happen if you fall into cold water and what to do in those first few seconds could save you or your loved one’s life.

Why Cold Water Can Be Dangerous

When you go outside on a warmer-than-usual winter day, you might not think the water will be as cold, but air temperatures can be deceiving.

Any water temperature below 70°F should be treated cautiously, and cold shock can begin at temperatures between 50-60°F.

Cold water can cause the body to lose four times more heat than cold air. Therefore, when someone hits cold water, their body begins to go into “cold shock,” causing dramatic changes like involuntary gasps, rapid breathing, a heart rate and blood pressure spike, and reduced mental capabilities.

Cold shock comes in three main phases: 

  1. The Gasp:

Cold water immersion can trigger the “gasp factor,” making breathing difficult. Water can fill the lungs if your head gets submerged when the “gasp factor” happens. 

  1. Body Exhaustion:

Loss of muscular control and overall body weakness in the limbs, hands, and feet can be felt within seconds. The longer in cold water, the more severe the symptoms become. When the body becomes weak, it is harder to stay floating without assistance.

  1. Hypothermia:

Hypothermia is the extreme lowering of core body temperature and can be dangerous if not treated.  For example, having your core body temperature drop below 95°F may result in unconsciousness and death. 

Depending on the temperatures of the water, minimizing the time you are in the water is essential. Therefore, if you are going to be on/near cold water or ice, it is always best to be adequately prepared if you or a loved one falls in.

cold-water-safety-tips-lake

Cold Water Safety Tips:

Whenever you go on a winter outing, always prepare as if you are going to fall into cold water.

The following cold water safety tips will help you keep you and your loved ones safe around cold water this winter:

4 Essential Cold Water Safety Tips: 

  1. Check the weather and water conditions before you go out. You will want to dress for the water temperature, not the air temperature.  Some examples include:
  • Wet Suit
  • Dry Suit
  • Immersion Suit
  • Survival Suit
  • Exposure Coveralls
  1. Always wear a brightly colored USCG-approved life jacket.
  2. Bring a communication device like a cell phone, position-indicating radio Beacon (EPIRB), personal locator beacon (PLB), or a VHF radio.
  3. Communicate your location, supplies, and plans with someone you trust on land. 

If You Fall Into Cold Water Safety Tips: 

  • Hold your hands over your mouth to prevent gasping in cold water.
  • Try to stay calm and control your breathing. 
  • Assess your surroundings and devise a plan to get to safety.
  • Minimize your time in the water by doing 10 minutes of meaningful movement to safety. 
  • If you can’t find a place to swim to get to safety, use the H.E.L.P position, or if you are with a group, the Huddle Position until help can arrive.
cold-water-safety-help-position
H.E.L.P Position:
Draw your knees to your chin and keep your legs together.
cold-water-safety-huddle-position
Huddle Position:
Form a huddle with other people to lessen body heat loss.

After Rescue Cold Water Safety Tips:

After a person is rescued from cold water, their body temperature will continue to drop. Seconds count even after getting someone out of cold water. Here are some helpful steps to take after a cold rescue:

  • Call 911 immediately.
  • Get to a warm place and begin actively trying to warm up as you monitor breathing and blood circulation.
  • Remove any wet clothing and wrap them or yourself in blankets or new dry clothing.
  • The core should be warmed first, then other limbs like hands and feet. 
  • Avoid warming up too quickly, and DO NOT go into warm water. Warming up too quickly can cause an irregular heart rate. 

Ice Safety Tips

Ice can be tricky and is never 100% safe. Typically, ice only sometimes freezes uniformly in one location, so it’s essential always to have a plan prepared before going on or around the ice. 

General Safety Around Ice:

  • Always check the temperature outside. Air temperatures can often impact the quality of ice. You will always want to dress for the water temperature rather than the air temperature.
  • Always wear a brightly colored USCG-approved life jacket. Lifejackets will help you stay afloat when the stages of cold shock begin.
  • Check the ice thickness in multiple areas. General ice thickness guidelines recommend that a minimum of 4” of clear ice is safe for activities on foot.
  • Go with a buddy & share with others your activity plans, including what supplies you are taking, your location, and the personal location devices you have with you.
  • Bring an ice safety kit that includes rope, ice picks, a whistle, a cell phone or VHF radio, spiked shoes, an emergency first aid kit, extra clothes, and blankets.

If YOU Fall Through The Ice:

  • Remain calm and avoid panicking.
  • Face the direction you came and spread your arms out on the unbroken ice.
  • Begin kicking your feet and try to pull yourself onto the ice.
  • Once you pull yourself out of cold water, remain lying on the ice, but do not stand!
  • Roll away from the hole and crawl as carefully as possible to solid land.
  • Treat yourself for hypothermia and seek medical attention immediately.

If Someone Falls Through Ice: 

  • Call 911 immediately.
  • Reach, Throw, or Row; never go out on broken ice!
    • Reach: If you can reach them safely on solid ground, extend an object such as a rope, a tree branch, or a ladder. If you cannot hold their weight, release your grip and find a different approach.
    • Throw: Toss an end of a rope or a floating device to tie around themselves before phase 2 of cold shock begins.
    • Row: If the ice is completely broken apart and can hold a small row boat to reach the victim. Use the paddle to pull them aboard. 
  • Help the person into dry clothes or a blanket ASAP.
  • Seek immediate medical attention after rescue. 

cold-water-safety-first-responder
Ice Rescue with First Responders

Always Know and Practice Cold Water Safety During the Winter

After reading these tips and educating yourself on the hazards of cold water, you and your loved ones will be better prepared for any winter outing, whether you are near the water or not.

Regardless of the water temperature, you should always know about the water’s dangers and understand how to counteract them, especially by using the 5 Layers of Protection.

All layers of protection must work together to help prevent the tragedy of drowning. Water safety isn’t just during swim time. It is a year-long practice! 

For more information about water safety and the 5 Layers of Protection, become a Water Safety Champion today! 

, , ,

How You Can Influence Stakeholders for Water Safety Legislation to Prevent Drownings

water-safety-legislation-ndpa

During the cold winter months, you may not think about going in the water much, but that doesn’t mean your water safety efforts and education should stop.

Drowning is a public health crisis and an economic problem that will not change unless more water safety policies and legislation are put into effect throughout our communities. Through the 2020 CDC WISWARS Cost of Injury Module, drownings (both fatal and nonfatal) cost the U.S. Economy $53.53 billion per year.

We are Not Powerless When Addressing the Tragedies of Drowning

Advocating for more water safety legislation and drowning prevention efforts in our local and state governments is essential to help change the number of drownings across the U.S.

Drowning has a startling ripple effect, which can have a lifetime effect on the victim’s family, friends, and community members. However, many people may not publicly advocate for water safety legislation because they might not know where to start.

To make things easier for those who want to advocate for water safety action and those interested in improving how their community prevents drowning incidents and other aquatic injuries, here are some tips that can be used as a guide.

water-safety-legislation-drowning-prevention

1. Look at Your Local and State Level Water Safety Legislation Laws
Before approaching community members with water safety legislation, educating yourself is critical.  Become familiar with the water safety issues around you and learn more about water safety education by implementing the 5 Layers of Protection.

Educating yourself and those around you about water safety is a lifelong endeavor, so stay up to date with the latest research and evidence-based drowning prevention strategies through your state’s water safety legislation. 

All states have different laws, codes, and regulations around public health and information on pools, hot tubs, and splash pads, so use the following resources below to read about local and state-level water safety legislation initiatives that are currently in effect: 

2. How to Advocate for Water Safety Legislation to Policy Makers

By learning about the latest laws, codes, and regulations, you will be able to become more active in your community to make a difference. Working your way up is a great way to start advocating for water safety legislation efforts.

Attending local government meetings to discuss community issues like fencing ordinances to provide barriers for homes with pools and spas or recommending pool and spa covers to homeowners with water features can help reduce aquatic-related incidents. Always advocate for all five layers of protection, as one water safety strategy may not be enough to save a life.

When you create lasting relationships with your local officials by regularly participating in community meetings, you provide the necessary information to make positive changes for your community, city, and even state.

Without the support of engaged and dedicated water safety advocates, reducing the number of drownings wouldn’t be possible. Without those to share and advocate for water safety, U.S. Rep Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-20) wouldn’t have been able to become a Water Safety Champion and rally to support the reauthorization of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGB Act). 

Other ways you can help advocate for water safety include: 

water-safety-legislation-advocacy-wasserman-schultz
U. S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-20) Receiving Lighthouse Award and Becoming a Water Safety Champion

3. Empower Your Community to Help Prevent Drowning with Water Safety Legislation

When it comes to the health and safety of children, empowering your community to rally against drowning and aquatic injuries is as simple as ‘gimmie 5’:

  1. Installing barriers & alarms to help prevent children and unauthorized adults from accessing water unsupervised.
  2. Close, constant, and capable supervision anytime children are in or around water.
  3. Learning water competency and basic swim skills.
  4. Wear life jackets appropriately, especially around open water.
  5. Learning emergency preparation skills like CPR and fast action to call 911.

Each of these 5 Layers must work together, so teaching members of your community significantly impacts those around you.
Make access to water safety education simple and easy to access. Follow the NDPA’s social feeds for social media posts to share or access your Resource Kit after becoming a Water Safety Champion. Always be open to sharing resources to spread drowning prevention awareness to your friends, family, and community.

It Takes a Village to Advocate for Water Safety Legislation

With water safety legislation, we can make a difference in drowning prevention, but it takes more than one person to create change for the greater good. Drowning prevention is more than educating parents about water safety.

By becoming more aware of the dangers water can present to our communities and utilizing the best water safety strategies, we can make a difference in preventing future drowning and aquatic injuries. 


To join the fight for more water safety legislation for drowning prevention in our communities, visit NDPA.org/support-ndpa/.

From the NDPA Board President’s Pen

From the NDPA Board President's Pen

In his last official act as President of the NDPA Board of Directors, Blake Collingsworth has issued himself a pardon from all future committee assignments. As we know, Blake’s courage and compassion in support of NDPA’s mission is tireless and arguably unparalleled. Thus, as my first act as President of the NDPA Board of Directors, Blake’s pardon has been revoked.

All kidding aside, when you see Blake and Cathy, please take a moment to express your deepest gratitude for their steadfast leadership. In addition to a passion for drowning prevention and water safety, Blake, Cathy and I also share membership in Rotary International where we are guided by the Four Way Test:

  1. Is it the TRUTH?
  2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
  3. Will it build GOOD WILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
  4. Is it BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

It is with these core guiding principles that I am humbled and honored to step into the NDPA Board Presidency. Some highlights of the work our board, in partnership with a stellar staff, will focus on in the coming months include:

  • Grounding diversity, equity and inclusion as connected to our mission and critical to ensuring the well-being of the communities we serve.
  • Connecting our board more authentically with the people and communities we serve through broad committee engagement.
  • Infuse new energy and vision into the strategic direction of NDPA as the national flagship water safety and drowning prevention organization.

As fellow board member Jeremy Smith announced multiple times at this year’s Water Safety Conference, my email is pam.cannell@boardbuild.org. Feel free to reach out to let me know how you would like to get involved in the good work we are doing to save lives.


Gratefully,

Pam Cannell
Board President, NDPA
President & CEO, BoardBuild

, ,

NDPA Sustaining Sponsors

The National Water Safety Conference, hosted by the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA) is the nation’s leading annual event devoted to drowning prevention and water safety. The conference is hosted for the cross-section of the industry and is built on a foundation of top thought leadership and education.

It is thanks to the commitment and continued support of our sustaining sponsors that our flagship conference reaches a national and global audience, offering intelligent, engaging and relevant content to all attendees.

For everything NDPA Sustaining Sponsors have done for us in the past, everything they still do and will continue to do, we at the National Drowning Prevention Alliance are thankful and excited about all the possibilities we see in a prosperous future together.

https://us.ddtech.com/

D&D Technologies is a company dedicated to the design and manufacture of quality, state-of the-art gate latches, locks and hinges.

D&D Technologies now enjoys a reputation as the #1 gate hardware designer in the world, with established markets in Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, South America, the UK and Europe. They confidently guarantee the highest quality of the products they sell. With options available for all gate applications and materials D&D hardware is ISO tested and certified to the most stringent standards.

While they are in the business of profit, they are also very proud of the fact their products save children’s lives. They give back to the community with strong financial and practical support of child-drowning-prevention organisations worldwide such as the NDPA. It’s all part of their passion and commitment.

https://www.cvent.com/

Cvent offers software solutions to event planners and marketers for online event registration, venue selection, event management and marketing, onsite solutions, and attendee engagement. #Cvent’s suite of products automate and simplify the planning process to maximize the impact of events.

With their support, the NDPA has managed to take the National Water Safety Conference to the next level as a virtual event.

https://counsilmanhunsaker.com/

For more than 45 years, Counsilman-Hunsaker has led the industry by completing more than 1,000 national and international aquatic projects of every size and complexity. In fact, many of the innovations that are now standard in the industry were conceived at Counsilman-Hunsaker.

The NDPA thanks them for their commitment to the audiovisual aspects of the National Water Safety Conference. Their effort, time and support have contributed to the continued success of this annual event.

https://www.familiesunitedtopreventdrowning.org/

Families United to Prevent Drowning is a group of people connected for the worst possible reason: the loss or near loss of someone we love to a water tragedy. Through Families United, we join to create one voice. Together we say, “Not one more drowning.”

Though their stories were different, the end result was undeniably the same: drowning is preventable. These shattered families forged a union that would create one singular, shared vision for the future. Stronger together than apart. Today, that group is 60 families strong. And sadly, growing.

https://www.ipssa.com/

The Independent Pool and Spa Service Association, Inc. exists for the mutual professional benefit and growth of its members and for the continued improvement of the pool and spa industry.

https://michaelphelpsfoundation.org/

Upon returning home to the U.S. after competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Michael launched the Michael Phelps Foundation and embarked upon an eight-city tour across the country to share his Dream, Plan, Reach message with Boys & Girls Clubs of America members.

In 2009, along with the help of KidsHealth.org and Michael Phelps Swimming, we developed our signature program, IM. IM is a water-safety, physical and mental wellness, and goal-setting program for Boys & Girls Clubs of America members and Special Olympics International athletes.

https://www.phta.org/

The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance protects and advances the common interests of the industry by providing education, advocacy, standards development, research, and market growth to increase our members’ professionalism, knowledge and profitabilit

It is their core purpose to promote safe and healthy pool and hot tub environments for people to share enjoyable aquatic experiences.

https://www.usaswimming.org/foundation/

Serving as the philanthropic arm of USA Swimming, the USA Swimming Foundation works to strengthen the sport by saving lives and building champions. By equipping our children with the life-saving skill of learn-to-swim and providing financial support to our heroes on the U.S. National Team, the USA Swimming Foundation aims to provide the wonderful experience of swimming to kids at all levels across the country.

https://www.iccsafe.org/

The International Code Council is the leading global source of model codes and standards and building safety solutions that include product evaluation, accreditation, technology, training, and certification. The Code Council’s codes, standards, and solutions are used to ensure safe, affordable, and sustainable communities and buildings worldwide.

https://joshtheotter.org/

The Joshua Collingsworth Memorial Foundation‘s mission is to educate children and adults worldwide about water safety through the utilization of drowning prevention campaigns & early childhood water safety training.

https://www.misstristan.com/

Miss Tristan Foundation was formed to ensure that Tristan Lynn Byrd would live on through the organization’s drowning prevention efforts. They are dedicated to raise water safety awareness through education of children and adults in and around spas, pools, and open bodies of water

, ,

New PSA From Abbey’s HOPE Offers Chilling, Timely Reminder

Abbey's Hope PSA

The water safety non-profit reminds parents and caregivers to avoid distracted supervision around pools.

MINNEAPOLIS—There’s a perfect storm of circumstances conspiring against adults’ ability to keep kids safe around pools and lakes this summer. Electronic devices continue to dominate our attention. And the COVID-19 pandemic has more adults working from home and supervising their children at the same time. For those with backyard pools, this poses an especially significant danger which has been brought to life in a chilling PSA from Abbey’s Hope.

The 30-second spot, “Watch Me!” features an all-too familiar scene: a distracted mom on the phone, laptop open as her young child splashes in the water, clamoring for her attention. What happens next is summed up by a provocative message superimposed on screen: “88% of child drownings occur with an adult nearby. 100% of those adults will never forgive themselves.” The spot concludes by inviting the viewer to become a Water Watchdog, which is an active supervision program started by Abbey’s Hope. To date, nearly 10,000 people have registered to take the pledge and receive their iconic Abbey’s Hope Water Watchdog ‘dog tag,’ a tangible reminder of the need to be vigilant when supervising children around water.

“It’s sadly ironic that we often tell our kids that we’re watching them, when we’re not,” said Katey Taylor, who along with husband Scott Taylor, founded Abbey’s Hope Charitable Foundation in response to the tragic death of their daughter, Abbey, following a pool drain entrapment incident in 2007. Taylor added, “Vigilant supervision has never been more important or required greater discipline, given the world we live in.”

 Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages one to four.  According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were 379 pool- or spa-related fatal drownings reported per year for 2015 through 2017, involving children younger than 15 years of age.  The vast majority of those deaths were to children ages 4 and under.

The PSA will launch 7/20/20 on social media and is free to use and can be accessed at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZgSYeaUqWc  It also will be broadcast on local television during the summer months when pool and lake usage is at its peak. 

About Abbey’s Hope:
Abbey’s Hope Charitable Foundation is a Minnesota nonprofit organization named after Abbey Taylor, the Edina, Minn., six-year-old who died in 2008 as a result of injuries sustained by an improperly maintained pool drain cover. 

The Foundation’s goal is to: 

●      Promote awareness of, and education, related to child safety issues, including educating pool owners, operators, inspectors, and the general public about the dangers of pool entrapment, evisceration and drowning and the need for physical inspections of pool equipment.

●      Work with the pool and spa industry to improve the design of its products, packaging and warning labels, and assist in the development of product safety standards related to such products.

●      Identify and provide support and assistance to organizations and programs that help educate parents, children, and pool and spa manufacturers about the prevention of entrapment and traditional forms of drowning.  

Find out more about Abbey’s Hope at https://www.abbeyshope.org/

###

Alison Petri
Program Manager
Abbey’s Hope Foundation
952.303.5421763.331.1899(cell)
alison@abbeyshope.org

, ,

Home Water Safety Tips

Home pools and spas are, of course, drowning hazards which is why implementing layers of protection is so important.

Bearing in mind that drowning can happen in even a very little amount of water, think of all the other objects in your home that are full or potentially full of water: toilet bowls, unemptied tubs, sinks, bird baths, pet dishes… Babies and toddlers are naturally curious so having all these hazards in mind becomes increasingly important.

The following tips are meant to make your home safer:

Active Adult Supervision at All Times

  1. Your child must never be unattended when around water. Bear in mind that babies can drown in as little as one inch of water.
  2. When watching kids when they are in or around water, avoid any and all distractions. Keep young children within arm’s reach of an adult (touch supervision).

Empty Tubs and Buckets After Use

  1. Immediately drain the tub once bath time is over.
  2. Empty buckets, containers and kiddie pools as soon as they are no longer in use and store them upside down. This is so they don’t collect water.

Keep Lids and Doors Closed

  1. Close toilet lids and consider using toilet seat locks to prevent drowning.
  2. Keep doors to bathrooms and laundry rooms closed at all times.

Backyard Pools

  1. Watch kids when they are in or around water, without being distracted. Keep young children within arm’s reach of an adult. Make sure older children swim with a partner every time.
  2. When children are swimming and there are several adults present, make sure kids are actively supervised at all times by choosing a Water Watcher. A Water Watcher is a responsible adult who agrees to watch the kids in the water without distractions and wear a Water Watcher card. After a certain amount of time (such as 15-minutes), the Water Watcher card is passed to another adult, who is responsible for the active supervision. Download a Water Watcher card here.
  3. Install fences around home pools. A pool fence should surround all sides of the pool and be at least four feet tall with self-closing and self-latching gates.
  4. Teach children how to swim. Every child is different, so enroll children in swim lessons when they are ready. Consider their age, development and how often they are around water.
  5. Make sure kids learn how to swim and develop these five water survival skills:
  • step or jump into water over their heads and return to the surface;
  • float or tread water for one minute; 
  • turn around in a full circle and find an exit
  • swim 25 yards to exit the water; and
  • exit the water. If in a pool, be able to exit without using the ladder.

Learn CPR

  1. Know what to do in an emergency. Learning CPR and basic water rescue skills may help you save a child’s life.

Source: Safe Kids Worldwide

Eleventh Annual World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™ Set for Thursday, June 18, 2020

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Feb. 26, 2020 

Registration for the 2020 World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™ (#WLSL2020) is officially open. This year’s event will take place Thursday, June 18, 2020. Organizers are urging aquatic facilities of all types to utilize the global, one-day event to increase awareness about the importance of learning to swim in their local communities.

Registration is now open at WLSL.org. The 2020 event will take place over the course of 24 hours on Thursday, June 18th. #WLSL2020
Registration is now open at WLSL.org. The 2020 event will take place over the course of 24 hours on Thursday, June 18th. #WLSL2020

The worldwide event provides kids and parents exposure to life-saving water safety skills while building awareness about the vital importance of teaching children to swim and undistracted adult supervision to help prevent drowning.

The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™ will take place on six continents over 24 hours on Thursday, June 18, 2020, as a platform for the aquatics industry to use one voice to send a clear message about the crucial importance of teaching kids to swim. Individual host locations and aquatics providers can conduct the 30-minute lesson any time of day they choose on the 18th.

Per the World Health Organization, drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury-related death, accounting for 7 percent of all injury-related deaths worldwide. In the U.S., drowning remains the leading cause of injury-related death for children ages 1 to 4, and the second leading cause for children under 14.

However, there is reason to hope. Since the WLSL event launched in 2010, the Swimming Lessons Save Lives™ message has been shared with more than two billion people in the U.S. alone. Facilities of all kinds are encouraged to join TEAM WLSL® in their mission to prevent childhood drowning through education. Register at https://www.wlsl.org/WLSL/host_an_event.aspx

About The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™
WLSL was created as a platform to build awareness about the fundamental importance of teaching children to swim to prevent drowning. WLSL events have provided more than 159,000 working hours of water safety training, more than 20,000 hours each year during the one-day event. Since its inception, more than 319,000 children and adults in 48 countries have participated in WLSL lessons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApSY4iFZCDc

Contact: 
Aleatha Ezra
234888@email4pr.com 
Phone: 913-599-0300

SOURCE World Waterpark Association

Related Links

https://WLSL.org

NDPA Lifesaver of the Year Award Winner

NDPA Lifesaver Award

The National Drowning Prevention Alliance is happy to announce that the winner of the 2020 Lifesaver of the Year Award is David Benjamin, Director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.

The NDPA Lifesaver of the Year Award’s purpose is to acclaim and honor exceptional work in the advancement of water safety and drowning prevention, recognizing an organization’s or individual’s commitment to safer water and the reduction of drowning and aquatic injury.

The recipient of this award is chosen from a pool of candidates nominated to the NDPA and voted on through the NDPA Facebook Page. Having been confirmed by the NDPA Executive Committee and Board of Directors, this year’s recipient is Founder and Director of the Great Lakes Rescue Project, David Benjamin for the dedication he has shown in continuing to fight endlessly to prevent drownings through education and advocacy. 

David Benjamin, Director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.
David Benjamin, Director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.

The NDPA would like to thank Mr. Benjamin for his support and will be greatly honored to present this award at the awards ceremony to be held on Monday, April 6th during the 2020 National Water Safety Conference in Fort Worth, TX.

United, we can prevent the tragedy of drowning!