Manama: Duaij Darweesh was at his office when he got a frantic call from his daughter informing him that her brother Abdul Aziz, four, had almost drowned and that he was being treated by paramedics at the poolside.
She told him that Abdul Aziz and two cousins were playing in the pool when the accident occurred.
The privately-owned pool was rented for the morning by his family and only women and children were there.
As there was no lifeguard, it was left to one of the mothers to jump, fully clothed, into the water and rescue the three children.
Duaij praised God for their safety and pondered the next move.
He had two children to look after and the summer was long. Like all parents, he needed to fill their “empty” days and evenings with various types of activities.
“Their tablets and mobiles must not be their only world, and we must think of ways to help them while the summer away in a more rewarding way,” he said.
“The weather is hot, so pools and the beach are a great option. However, we are now afraid pools are no longer the comfort zone they promised to be.”
Earlier this year, two families mourned the loss of four-year-old Mujtaba, who drowned in a pool, barely one week after another child, Saleh, six, also lost his life in similar circumstances.
The double tragedy shook the nation and prompted calls to ensure more rigorous safety requirements at pools and highlighted the need to teach children how to swim at earlier ages to minimise drowning risks.
“We all look forward to memorable summers, and here in Bahrain, we associate the season with holidays from school and with swimming. We need, however, to ensure children are safe. It is imperative that children learn how to swim before they are taken to large public pools,” Mariam Abdul Lateef said.
“The presence of a lifeguard is not enough, especially when there are many children swimming together. He cannot monitor the situation easily, especially if he is alone.”
For Hessa Ahmad, the presence of a lifeguard is critical even on the occasions when women organise their own day at the pool and there are no men around them.
“We understand the high significance of modesty and privacy for some families, but the lives of innocent children are much more important,” she said.
