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Water safety: how to prevent drowning for children and adults

Water safety: a practical guide

⏱ 2 min read

Children, lifejackets, currents, lifeguards. A guide based on official advice. The same text is in the free SurvivalZone.app and works without internet.

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Every summer many people drown in Europe, most often in unguarded places, after alcohol or while boating without a lifejacket. A drowning person usually does not shout or wave: they go under quietly and fast.

Most drownings can be prevented with simple rules.

Children

  1. A young child in the water is always within arm's reach, even in a paddling pool.
  2. One adult is chosen to watch the water, with no phone in hand.
  3. A lifejacket rather than armbands or rings, especially on boats and jetties.
  4. Swimming lessons: the earlier, the better.

Adults

  1. Swim only where there are lifeguards.
  2. No alcohol before swimming or on a boat.
  3. Do not jump into unknown water: shallow water can mean a spinal injury.
  4. Get into cold water slowly. Sudden immersion can cause cold shock and gasping.

At the sea

  1. Rip currents can pull you away from the shore. If one catches you, do not swim against it: swim parallel to the beach until you feel it weaken, then swim back. Check the flags on the beach.

Be ready to help

  1. If someone is drowning, do not jump in without equipment: throw them something that floats, a branch or a rope, and call 112. A first aid course teaches you what to do once they are out of the water.

Checklist

  1. Swim only on lifeguarded beaches
  2. An adult watching children without a phone
  3. Lifejackets for children and on boats
  4. No alcohol by the water
  5. Flags and rip currents understood
  6. Emergency number 112
  7. A first aid course

See also

Frequently asked questions

What does a drowning person look like?

They usually do not shout or wave. The head is low in the water, the mouth at water level, and movements are uncoordinated. It happens quickly.

What should I do if a rip current pulls me out?

Do not fight it. Swim parallel to the shore until the current weakens, then swim back or wave for help.

Are armbands safe for children?

They are not a lifejacket. Children still need an adult within arm's reach; on boats and jetties use a proper lifejacket.

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Sources

Official sources are checked automatically every day. Last check: 2026-11-04.

General guidance only; it does not replace the emergency services. If a life is in danger, call 112.