BALLARAT mum of three, Aurielle Walters, knows how quickly things can go wrong around water.<\/p>\n
A visit to Ballarat Aquatic & Lifestyle Centre (BALC) last October turned into every parent\u2019s worst nightmare when her then 3-year-old daughter, Eleanor, had to be pulled from the water by lifeguards.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019d only been to the pool once before. We walked out of the change rooms and I said to her \u2018hold on to the pram, do not let go of the pram\u2019. She saw the pool and took off. She went straight in and sunk.\u201d<\/p>\n
A lifeguard and swim teacher were only meters away, and quickly jumped into the water to pull her to safety.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was no reaction, no noise, no splashing, nothing. That\u2019s what scared me the most.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the weather starts to warm up, Ms Walters is urging all parents to consider swimming lessons for their children.<\/p>\n
\u201cGet your children in [to swimming lessons]. Just do it. It\u2019s absolutely vital.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to data recently released by Royal Life Saving Australia, there were 18 drowning deaths in children aged 0-4 years in 2017\/18. Accidental falls into water remain the leading activity prior to drowning among children under five, accounting for 78% of all drowning deaths.<\/p>\n
Luckily for Eleanor, the near-miss didn\u2019t put her off the water, and she\u2019s been taking swimming lessons ever since.<\/p>\n
Leanne White, Aquatic Education Team Leader at BALC, reiterates how important it is for children to familiarise themselves with water at an early age.<\/p>\n
\u201cEncouragingly there was a 30 per cent reduction in the total number of children aged 0-4 who drowned in 2017\/18 compared to the previous year, however drowning continues to be one of the leading causes of accidental death is this age group.<\/p>\n
This tells us that we still have plenty of work to do to spread the water safety message. Swimming and water safety lessons can provide under-fives with the lifesaving skills they need to be safer in and around water.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BALLARAT mum of three, Aurielle Walters, knows how quickly things can go wrong around water. A visit to Ballarat Aquatic & Lifestyle Centre (BALC) last October turned into every parent\u2019s worst nightmare when her then 3-year-old daughter, Eleanor, had to be pulled from the water by lifeguards. \u201cWe\u2019d only been to the pool once before. […]<\/p>\n