The pool’s great but not a must

Dr Tengku Fadilah conducting a water safety class in KL recently.

A NATIONAL swimmer at her prime is still no match for nature.

It was over two decades ago but National Water Activity Safety Council (NWSC) member Dr Tengku Fadilah Tengku Kamalden never forgot that lesson in humility.

The Johorian admits to not knowing about water safety until she found herself being swept away by the strong Sungai Perak current.

“I’m a good swimmer. Never did I think I’d have problems in water. But the pool and natural water bodies are very different.

“I was 21 when the current dragged me to the middle of the river. For about 1km, I could not swim to safety because I was at the river’s mercy. Luckily I didn’t panic.”

What she did know then was that rivers eventually slow down. As long as you’re calm and able to float on your back, you’ll be alright.

Victims drown when they struggle, get tired, and end up swallowing a lot of water before passing out. That’s why the bodies are always bloated.

“Like me, there are many good swimmers who know nothing about water safety. At that moment, I realised that man can never challenge nature. Our best bet is to understand nature if we want to survive. Weather change, and murky water, are just some of the danger signs that kids must learn how to read.”

Now, the Universiti Putra Malaysia’s (UPM) Faculty of Educational Studies associate professor, Malaysian Swimming Teacher Association exco member, and Life Saving Society Malaysia vice president, is on a mission to educate young Malaysians on water safety.

“When I started to swim competitively, no one taught me about water safety. I learnt how to breathe, kick, move my hands, and combine these elements so that I could swim from A to B in my strongest stroke.”

Swimming, she said, was just moving from one point to another in the water. Competitive swimming, on the other hand, means moving by using proper strokes like the breaststroke, freestyle, butterfly, or backstroke.

“Most people equate swimming with looking like Michael Phelps in water. That’s wrong. We’re too focused on swimming. Before we can walk, we want to run. Many jump into the water without even knowing about water safety.

“You must start by learning about water entry, water exit, floating on your back, and watermanship, which is ‘walking in water’.

“Though I’m a strong swimmer, I’d never jump into the water to save someone who’s drowning if I’m alone. There are ways to save someone without you losing your own life in the process.

“For example, if you want to save someone by forming a human chain, you don’t hold hands like how you would on a date. That’s what we must teach.”

Children, she said, can drown in as little as 20cm of water. Adults can drown in a spa, or jacuzzi, if they fall asleep inside or suffer a heart attack.

“So, if everyone knew about water safety, the risk of drowning will drop drastically.”

More people drowned than were killed in fire, according to the Fire and Rescue Department.

Last year, 301 people drowned compared with 97 deaths in fires, The Star reported on Jan 19. One hundred and seventy nine drowned in rivers and irrigation canals, while 54 others were reported at beaches. Drowning also occurred in lakes, mining pools, waterfalls, and drains or canals.

The department’s director-general Datuk Mohammad Hamdan Wahid said greater water safety awareness was needed.

Dr Tengku Fadilah said drowning and accidents in water are becoming more serious. Sadly, many go unreported. Even those who can swim aren’t spared.

“The problem is that we keep emphasising on swimming. And, we keep making excuses about how we can’t learn water safety because we have no pools. But water safety and being able to swim aren’t synonymous. It’s a misconception we’ve to correct. You can teach water safety at home and in classrooms. And, you have to do it even before you think about learning how to swim.”

Ask your swim coach

Swimming is an important life skill but there are many untrained coaches, Dr Tengku Fadilah warns.

“Check if the coach is certified by a certification body like the Malaysian Swimming Teachers’ Association (MSTA).”

The MSTA is affiliated with the International Federation of Swimming Teachers’ Associations Limited (IFSTA) which represents the world’s largest swimming teaching bodies.

Learning swimming without knowing about water safety is like handing someone a radio and only telling them where the on off switch is, she said.

Parents must insist on it so they themselves must know what water safety entails.

Parents don’t need to know how to swim. They just need to know water safety so that they can teach their kids. Many drowning cases occur because parents are chatting or looking at the phone.

“Learning about water safety is free. It’s like teaching road safety. You only need money to get a licence and buy a car. Teaching kids to look left and right before they cross the road doesn’t cost a thing.”

What signages mean, and how to respond to aquatic emergencies, are just some of the things you need to know even before you learn how to breathe and kick, she said.

“Some coaches might say that they have life saving certificate or Bronze Medallion but these are not to certify swimming teachers. These are personal life saving certifications. But, there are certifications like Pool Lifeguarding that can be used for jobs in water theme parks, or at hotel pools.

“Unfortunately, there are many errant swimming instructors who aren’t qualified to teach but are capitalising on the surge in demand for swim class. This is irresponsible as lives are at stake.”

At the very least, one person in the family must know about water safety because then, he or she will be able to teach the rest and even save them if need be.

“Don’t be dismissive when it comes to water safety. It’s a matter of life and death. If you say water safety is common sense, then ask yourself if you’ve ever talked to your children about it.

“You may not go near the water often but that one family outing could be your last,” she said, adding that in Japan, every child is taught how to float, and in England, primary pupils are encouraged to be able to swim for at least 50m.

A world’s first

Dr Tengku Fadilah’s interactive online water safety course received its copyright last year. It’s the world’s first and only interactive online course, she said.

Targeted at the public - especially youngsters, teachers, swimming coaches, parents, and lifeguards, the course was designed to reduce drowning cases and can be completed in two days.

Every child now has a smart device in hand. Not having access to a pool is not an excuse not to learn about water safety, she said. The course allows participants to log on and interact with others to share photos on its platform.

“You can read other people’s comments and learn. For example, did you know that the deadly Portuguese Man-of-War can be found in the waters of Penang? People share their experiences at different water bodies not just in Malaysia, but around the world. It’s very colourful.”

Over 300 users are currently registered. Even after they complete the course, these users can stay on the platform.

Launched in September 2017, the course’s four modules cover:

> facts related to water safety, various types of water bodies of water, and dangerous living things in water;

> watermanship skills, the do’s and don’ts near water, and tips to stay safe;

> your rights when boarding a watercraft and while participating in water recreational activities; and

> practical life-saving techniques, and how to respond appropriately in an aquatic emergency.

The course is available in English and Bahasa Malaysia but there are plans to offer it in other languages.

“A Brunei life saving group wants to adopt our modules. India wants to translate it into Hindi because in Kerala alone, 1,000 drowning deaths are recorded daily,” she said.

The Education Ministry, she said, was keen on a collaboration.

“I’m happy that the ministry is making the effort to educate our kids with the new Life-Saving Skills Programme and Water Safety and Rescue Awareness Module for Malaysian Schools.

“It’s important that this is made compulsory and not merely an option in schools,” she said, adding that if funding was an issue, the private sector could assist as part of their corporate social responsibility programme.

For details, log on to https://keselamatanair.com.my/courses/water-safety.

 

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