The largest lifeguarding association in the world has issued a warning to parents, alerting them to the dangers of being inattentive while their children are swimming.
The German Lifeguard Association, which maintains 40,000 lifeguard volunteers in Germany, said that after more than 300 people drowned this year, parents need to be more alert. The Guardian reported on Wednesday that of the drownings, 20 were under the age of five.
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“In the past, parents and grandparents spent more time with their children in the swimming pool. But increasing numbers of parents are fixated by their smartphones and are not looking left or right, let alone paying attention to their children,” said Peter Harzheim, of the German federation of swimming pool supervisors, to German media. “It’s sad that parents behave so neglectfully these days.”
Last month, police in the United Arab Emirates issued a similar warning, after two young boys drowned in separate incidents where parents were using smartphones.
“Negligence is considered a major cause of child drowning incidents,” Abu Dhabi Police said the statement.
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