This article is from page 82 of the 2008-10-21 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 82 JPG
A CAMPAIGN launched in Ennis last week, aims to improve water safety measures for children.
The development of drowning prevention standards was discussed when the Examiners of Irish Water Safety held their Annual Confer- ence in Ennis. Over one hundred attendees from around the country reviewed current approaches and de- veloped new strategies to reduce this needless waste of life.
The conference opened as new fig- ures reveal that 16 children aged 14
and under have drowned in Ireland, in the last five years.
The conference discussed all spheres of water safety in a bid to re- duce the tragic fact that 156 drowned in Ireland in 2007. The conference also focused on the dangers present- ed by inland waterways, the most common location of drowning inci- (nls
That is an area of water safety that resonates particularly with Ennis in light of recent figures, which reveal that nine people have drowned on the River Fergus in the past four years.
The latest tragedy occurred last
week, when the body of a man was recovered from the river, near Knoxs Bridge, on Tuesday.
The man is thought to be in his ear- ly 40s and is believed to originally be of Eastern European descent.
Speaking recently, Liam Griffin, Water Safety Officer with Clare County Council, re-iterated calls for people to respect life rings placed on the Fergus, saying that abuse and vandalism was a bigger issue in En- nis than anywhere else in Clare.
Mr Griffin said he would also sup- port a review of the current plan outlining existing water safety pro-
cedures for Ennis.
The vast majority of drowning inci- dents – along with many other aquatic injuries – are preventable, according to Irish Water Safety council. Wa- ter safety plays a key role in signifi- cantly reducing aquatic injuries and drowning through its’ education and promotion programmes.
Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Heritage and Lo- cal Government, Michael Kitt T.D. launched “Aqua Attack”, a workbook awareness programme packed with water safety tips and exercises for children.