IN the wake of recent drownings in Kota Tinggi and Pulau Besar, it would be advisable for parents to take extra precaution with their children when they go out to sea.

They should not allow their young to swim in choppy seas and treacherous conditions. And most of all, children should not be allowed in the water without adult supervision.

It would also be advisable to make it compulsory for all children and adults who are unable to swim to wear life jackets while in the water.

There were numerous cases of unattended children drowning in swimming pools at holiday resorts last year. It is heart-wrenching to read in the media of these tragedies during school holidays and festive seasons.

In order to reduce or prevent such fatalities, life jackets should be worn when in the water.

This practice of wearing life jackets should also be applicable to travellers who have to cross rivers in boats.

Even if they do not wear them, enough life jackets should be available in the boats in the event of a life-threatening situation.

The Kuching waterfront, which overlooks the Sarawak river, has hundreds of people, including schoolchildren, crossing the river day and night in precarious sampans. They pay a meagre sum for a one-way journey that takes about 10 minutes.

Many tourists also use the sampan to visit places of interest such as the Astana and Fort Margherita, which are visible from the waterfront. Unfortunately, there are no life jackets on board the sampan; one wonders what would happen in an emergency.

The Malacca River Boat Tour, a tourist attraction cruise on the Malacca river for a 45-minute cruise upriver from the mouth of the river, also does not have life jackets for the tourists.

One would dread to think of the consequences if any accident were to happen during the river boat tour.

There was a directive that all boats plying rivers should have life jackets but because of poor supervision by the authorities, it has been not been enforced effectively.

Some parents have been known to be lackadaisical in the supervision of their children. During the floods, it is common to see children playing in makeshift boats and swimming in floodwaters near their homes.

If only we could pay a little extra attention to our children when they are in the water, it would go a long way in saving lives and the agony and pain of crying foul after a tragedy.

It is always better to be safe than sorry.

SAMUEL YESUIAH, Seremban

Source: NST – January 30, 2009