The frequent drowning of Lagosians, be it through travel accidents on the waterways or when they have been overpowered by strong ocean currents while swimming at the beach, all suggest a need for intensive training to prevent unnecessary deaths like those that have been recently witnessed.

It has been quite saddening for megacity officials who have had to endure the passing of up to seven people in separate drowning incidents over a week. The deceased Fawaz Alabi formerly an activist who ran commentaries about corrupt public institutions was one of those who died due to the absence of quick help during their distress.

Seeing such scenarios for the public health threat that they are, the Lagos State Safety Commission via a press statement signed by its Director General Lanre Mojola on Sunday, 14 April wants a realignment by stakeholders which also includes recreation sites where most deaths occur.

LASG ISSUES URGENT DROWNING PREVENTION ADVISORY

Read more: https://t.co/MusS1tgHRn@jidesanwoolu @drobafemihamzat @eLMojol @gbenga_omo @gboyegaakosile @BSaluHundeyin @Mr_JAGs #LASG #AGreaterLagosRising pic.twitter.com/YHj9lVoqsX

— The Lagos State Govt (@followlasg) April 14, 2024

The people running such facilities are to ensure that they comply with the Lagos State Swimming Pool Regulations which present strict rules that must be followed to ensure lives are protected around a body of water or in the open lagoon.

ALSO READ: What is drawing the world to Nigeria’s mythical waterfalls?

Part of the requirement according to Director General Mojola is to ensure the presence of certified lifeguards during operational hours but there are other survival moves that work which are what we are capturing here.

Learn basic swimming and water safety skills: Even though Nigeria, especially the southern parts of the country, is prolific for its outpouring of mighty rivers, not a lot of the people can swim. One reason for this ties in with a fundamental defect where young people lack basic swimming capacity although they like to get in a pool nonetheless and that comes with risk.

Wear a life jacket: Ferry yards insist that anyone journeying with their service wear a life jacket and it is really for their protection. Some might shrug or even hold a grudge when they are being forced to put on the vest until they disembark totally from a jetty but sticking to this ritual is highly recommended. Lagosians or anyone ought to level up to have their personalised life jacket as riding on the waterways becomes a big aspect of public transport.

Take CPR classes: The cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) when properly pulled could be what brings back a person that has taken in water into their lungs and then loses their access to oxygen. Sadly, most people cannot perform CPR, hence their inability to rescue or revive anyone who has had the misfortune of a swimming pool or open ocean accident. To learn this act of resuscitation, a person can attend a Red Cross-administered class so that they can be heroes in the communities.

Know the risks of natural waters: Before doing any such thing as boarding a boat to beat road traffic, shooting a risky sea-based movie scene or even going out to swim, study the weather pattern of the day. Doing this is nothing strenuous or that should lead to concern because weather apps mostly make it easy to tell if it is going to be a sunny Monday or a day when strong ocean winds could give grave concerns.

Use the buddy system: Practice makes perfect is a saying that speaks to anyone trying to master their swimming skill for instance but they must also make room for their safety over the course of becoming master swimmers. During this interval, they can make use of a buddy system which ensures a swimming assistant is close to them should they be overwhelmed by an unanticipated stronger ocean current or when they mistakenly slide to depths beyond their control.