However, we should also take care ourselves to ensure that our time by the water is safe and associated exclusively with joy and relaxation. Police officers remind us that, to make our leisure time safe, it is enough to follow a few basic rules:
- the safest option is to use supervised bathing areas. Under no circumstances should you swim in places where swimming is prohibited
- children should use bathing areas only under adult supervision. It is essential to keep a constant eye on young children and remind them of the rules for staying safely near the water, because sometimes just a brief moment is enough for tragedy to occur
- when using water equipment, remember that it should be in good working order and certified, and that the people on it should wear special life jackets. (Especially those who are weak swimmers or cannot swim at all)
- alcohol should not be abused while relaxing by the water, and after drinking it, remember that you should not swim or use water equipment in that condition. Alcohol impairs the assessment of one’s own swimming abilities and encourages recklessness; it also increases the likelihood of thermal shock and weakens the body.
Police officers also warn against diving headfirst into shallow water with an unexplored bottom—such a dive may result in a spinal injury and disability.