Comment: Be safe and vigilant on our waterways

At last, we have a decent spell of good weather and it seems to put everybody in good humour.

With the beautiful weather continuining. lots of people will flock to our lakes and coastal locations to make the most of the sunshine. And a county like Meath certainly is blessed with many beautiful bathing spots but sadly none of the non coastal locations are patrolled by lifeguards.

Without fail, every year there is a prolonged spell of good weather or a heat wave, we also hear reports of drownings and tragedies at our rivers, lakes and waterways.

Who can forget Summer 2021 when five people drowned in Irish waters over a two-week period in July? Tragically, there have been, on average, 111 drownings every year in Ireland over the last decade.

Water Safety Ireland is the statutory body with responsibility for safety at bathing areas. Every year it runs outdoor swimming lessons at lakes around the county, though places have been limited in recent years due to a lack of qualified instructors – another post-Covid problem.

Parents are encouraged to seek out these courses and get their children to do them. Learning how to swim in a swimming pool – a controlled and supervised environment – is very different to learning how to swim in open water and adapt to the many factors weather and your environment may throw at you – from currents to reeds and sink holes.

The courses are usually advertised in our local news pages or indeed you can check out locations and dates on the Irish Water Safety website.

Teaching you children about water safety in general – or indeed reminding yourself about it – is also a good idea.

The Be Summer Ready website has some good advice about water safety and all those involved in water activities should take time to read the material before venturing out on the water. It can be accessed at www.gov.ie/summerready

Of course, common sense should always apply. Don’t swim alone, try to swim within your depth and parallel to the shore; don’t swim for at least an hour after eating. If you are going out on a boat, make sure to wear a lifejacket or some sort of floatation device.

Never ever combine driving alcohol and swimming – alcohol is a contributing factor in around one in three drownings.

Familiarise yourself with your surroundings when swimming outdoors and make note of the location of the nearest ring buoy.

Apart from water safety, please take care on the roads, drink plenty of water and don’t forget the sunscreen.

While safety is the focus of our editorial, if you are visiting lakes and various picturesque areas of our county and country this weekend, please treat the environment with respect and take your litter home with you. Leave no trace!

Whatever your plans, enjoy it and stay safe!