AMMAN — Since the beginning of the summer season, the Civil Defence Department (CDD) has responded to 43 drowning incidents across the Kingdom's provinces, resulting in the loss of 19 lives of various ages, along with 33 injuries.

 

Head of the Civil Defense Operations Division Ahmed Zayadat said that the response times of the Civil Defence teams have been commendably swift, averaging around 8 minutes, a record speed in comparison with global standards.

 

Zayadat emphasised the urgency of such rapid response times, given that drowning incidents can lead to immediate fatalities, particularly in cases involving children and adolescents.

 

Zayadat also noted that the Public Security Directorate has been proactive in issuing early warnings this year through various initiatives and campaigns.

 

He also identified several factors contributing to these drowning incidents, including swimming in unsuitable water bodies such as dams, agricultural ponds, and water channels, and fishing in dams using primitive boats ill-equipped for such activities, highlighting the inherent dangers posed by the lack of a safe fishing environment in dams.

 

Zayadat noted that the CDD has activated advanced water rescue points near dams and water channels, with a particular focus on holidays and weekends. Additionally, field diving centres have been established in large agricultural areas and in the Aqaba and Dead Sea regions.

 

Zayadat also drew attention to the risks associated with swimming in private farms that have pools lacking adequate safety measures, highlighting the dangers of unsupervised children using relatively deep pools without proper equipment and clothing that could potentially prevent drowning incidents.

 

Zayadat highlighted swimming in some private farms that have pools lacking general safety conditions, as well as the lack of supervision over children and allowing them to use such relatively deep pools without proper equipment and clothing that could prevent drowning.