The Ministry of Emergency Situations reminds: most tragedies occur due to underestimation of risks and lack of supervision. In the Vitebsk region alone, 21 minors have drowned in the last 5 years.

Another tragedy occurred on June 10, 2026, in the village of Lozichi, Gluboksky district. Rescuers from the Ministry of Emergency Situations recovered a 13-year-old boy from an artificial pond. After resuscitation efforts, medics pronounced the teenager dead.

Child Safety: A Zone of Special Attention

Unlike in movies, where a drowning person loudly cries for help and waves their arms, in real life, people drown quietly and unnoticed. This is one of the most important facts that every adult should know.

That is why, when swimming, the "outstretched arm" rule applies: young children should be in the water at a distance that allows you to instantly touch them with your hand.

No gadgets or distractions from conversations when a child is in the water or near the shore.

Parents, please remember: armbands and inflatable rings are just toys. They can deflate, slip off, or flip over.

Absolutely refrain from consuming alcoholic beverages while relaxing by the water, especially if children are with you! Alcohol on the beach is the main source of tragedies, as it instantly disables parental instincts.

Hidden Dangers: Inflatable Mattresses

A tragic incident involving the death of two children in August 2023 brings to light the annual problem of swimming on inflatable mattresses. Despite the fact that the children were under adult supervision, the tragedy could not be avoided.

Parents! An inflatable mattress is a means for relaxing on the shore, not for swimming.

Mattresses have high windage. A minimal gust of wind can flip them over, and a current can carry them far from the shore in minutes. Any puncture from a shell, snag, or a seam coming apart instantly turns the float into a sinking piece of rubber.

Modern Trends: Safety on SUP Boards

Stand-up paddleboarding is rapidly gaining popularity but requires strict adherence to safety rules.

Always attach the safety leash to your leg. If you fall, the board will not float away from you. A life jacket is a mandatory requirement for going on the water on any watercraft.

Deadly Leap: The Danger of Diving

Diving in unfamiliar or unprepared areas is a direct path to disability or death. This point requires the strictest wording, as diving headfirst into water in unprepared areas or with an unexamined bottom leaves virtually no chance of survival.

Snags, submerged logs, concrete slabs, rebar, or stones can be hidden underwater. A head impact with the bottom leads to a fracture of the cervical vertebrae and instant paralysis.

Do not dive into the water; enter it by wading, gradually exploring the bottom of the water body.

Rescuers urge: teach children to swim from an early age! No prohibitions can replace a child's confident swimming skills and awareness of danger.