One long weekend, a dozen or so people have already stayed out of the water

Just before the long August weekend, the services appealed for caution when relaxing by the water. And what do the statistics look like? According to information provided by the Police Headquarters, 12 people drowned between August 15 and 18. This is less than during the same period last year. At that time, between August 12 and 15, 20 people did not get out of the water.

So far, the most drownings this year have been recorded in the Warmia-Masuria, Masovia and Pomerania provinces. According to data from the Government Security Centre, 252 people have drowned in Poland since April 1. Almost 87% of these people are men. Tragedies most often occur at lakes, rivers and ponds.

Behind each such “number” there is a tragedy of the victim and his or her family.

The police appeal to swim only in designated areas that are appropriately marked, to take care of the safety of the youngest and not leave them unattended in the water or on the beach, not to enter the water when hot, to cool your chest, neck, nape and legs with water before entering, to realistically assess your skills and condition, to pay attention to people bathing next to you, to avoid bathing after drinking alcohol and, if necessary, to call the emergency number 112.

The fact that there is still no shortage of people who disregard these basic rules of safe recreation by the water is exemplified by the situation that occurred on August 15 on the beach in Łeba. As reported by WOPR lifeguards, they were approached by a beachgoer who reported that a drunk man, around 50 years old, had asked her to look after his things because he was going to swim in the Baltic Sea. An hour passed and he was still not there. In this situation, the lifeguards closed the bathing area and began to check the water.

– The lifeguards are professionals and have carried out rescue operations many times. They know perfectly well what to do. Here, they did not have an easy task. They had to deal with a group of people who wanted to enter the water and create a life chain. On the other hand, the second group of beachgoers wanted to see everything up close, which made it impossible to take action on the spot. A man under the influence of alcohol also appeared, who used unparliamentary words to urge the lifeguards on – reports Kacper Treder, coordinator of the bathing area in Łeba, to tvn24.pl.

The wanted 50-year-old was found. It turned out that he had gotten out of the water and was unable to return to the place where he had been sunbathing. On the way, he even stopped the lifeguards conducting the search and asked if they had found his belongings.

– Unfortunately, some things remain unchanged when it comes to water recreation: dangerous behaviour under the influence of alcohol and losing children – the lifeguard points out.

The police also encourage active use of the National Map of Security Threats and its co-creation. – One of the map's functions is the “dangerous places by the water” marker. It can refer, for example, to damaged water infrastructure. It can be used to notify the services about jet skis being used where it is not allowed or about people who drink alcohol and then enter the water. To specify what the report concerns, simply add a description, as well as the approximate time of the occurrence of the specific situation – explains junior asp. Klaudia Biernacka, spokeswoman for the District Police Headquarters in Sulęcin.

Threats can be reported using the app on the website. They are anonymous. – Each click causes a response from the services, so it is important to use the app wisely. In the event of a direct threat to health or life, dial the emergency number 112 – the spokeswoman says.