Regina Roberts
112 Andalucía has launched a drowning prevention campaign, “Zero Drowning,” to help prevent water-related accidents.
The campaign was announced by the Andalusian regional minister for the Presidency, Antonio Sanz, at Fontanilla beach in Cadiz.
He noted that precautions must be taken in areas where there is no surveillance, which is when most accidents occur.
The majority of drowning incidents happen at beaches followed by rivers and swimming pools as concluded by the national drowning report by the Royal Spanish Federation of Rescue and First Aid.
According to the campaign, last year, 394 people died from drowning in Spanish aquatic areas, 56 of which were in Andalucia.
This year, the emergency service has coordinated 141 rescues from aquatic areas, and the area has seen 28 deaths.
The awareness campaign will be conducted through television and social media.
It will be organised into three sections: vigilance, which others should establish with the most vulnerable populations, respect for the aquatic area, and precaution.
The regional ministry of the Presidency and the Royal Spanish Federation of Rescue and Lifeguarding have developed an aquatic safety strategy in the region, which includes training courses for civil protection volunteers and information for the public.
Since the Civil Protection Standing Committee approved the last nine beach safety and rescue plans in June, a hundred percent coverage has been achieved in the area.
112 Andalusia is continuing to disperse information throughout the summer with an educational guide about safely swimming in aquatic areas, which is available via the regional ministry of the Presidency website.
It will also be available on QR codes on the “Zero Drowning” campaign’s promotional material to be distributed in coastal communities in late July.
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