Risk of drowning
Are the Léman swimming places monitored?
The lack of vigilance of certain parents was noted by the rescuers of a swimming pool in the canton of Vaud. What is the situation on the banks of Lake Geneva?
Swimming area along the Quai d’Ouchy.
Marino Trotta – Ville de Lausanne
- Prilly swimming masters rescued twelve children this summer.
- Pâquis baths employ 17 rescuers for daily surveillance.
- The State of Geneva plans to strengthen monitoring of swimming areas.
- The majority of the Lake Geneva have no legal surveillance obligation.
They have avoided drowning at twelve children under the age of 8 since the start of the summer. THE Swimmers From the Prilly swimming pool, the alarm bell in mid-July and pointed out the lack of parents’ surveillance, too absorbed by their mobile phone. They also noted their carelessness: they would not be sufficiently aware of the danger. What about Lake Geneva? Are the beaches and public baths monitored? Can parents rest on the vigilance of the Bains guards? Overview of the Baignade Places of the Lake Geneva Arc.
Increased monitoring
To the Water Vives beach In Geneva, the city site Announcement immediately the color: “swimming is not monitored and placed under the responsibility of each”, despite its 400 meters of access to water and a capacity which displays between 6000 and 8000 bathers per day.
Opposite, the Pâquis baths, whose entry is paid, they are five to six swimming masters to monitor the public every day during the opening hours. In all, 17 rescuers work in the baths. An increased figure according to Philippe Constantin, coordinator of the Association of Pâquis Baths users (AUBP). “Surveillance is really important, the mobile phone is one of the problems but carefreeness too. Our swimming masters intervene very frequently. ”
According to the coordinator, the site has several areas which require all the attention of rescuers such as diving, zip line, the area facing the lake or waterpolo. He specifies that the Bathy Guards benefit from additional special training, focused on the lake.
Parental liability
At Hermance beach, Ariana SEFIU, the manager of the refreshment bar, assures that the bathers are watched by four people, the swimmer, her staff and herself. The beach does not accept children under the age of 15, if they are alone. “The responsibility is the responsibility of the parents and they know it. We explain to them that the edges of the lake are more dangerous than a swimming pool. ”
The manager believes that the iPhone problem is less significant than in a certain time. On the other hand, the beach wardrobe has no distinctive sign, “to prevent some from resting too much on its presence”. Regulars of the place would even make discipline with certain parents, she said. “In thirty years, we have never had drowning, we do not want a death on conscience.”
Dangerousness of Lake Geneva
In Geneva-Plage, whose entry is also paying, director Christian Marchi explains that the place employs fourteen supervisors in total. “Between lake and swimming pool, there is no big difference in terms of attention. Every twenty minutes, they turn so as not to stay frozen. ” He adds that some parents are not always aware that their children are doing in the water but not at the lake diving. It notes that due to the configuration of the lake, it is more complicated to find a swimmer in distress.
The State of Geneva, owner of several beaches around the harbor, indicates by the voice of Guillaume Marsac, deputy director general of the Directorate General of Water, there is no obligation to surveillance arising from the law. “Certain areas like Geneva-Plage or the Pâquis baths are watched, but it depends on the organization of the site. They have developments and offer services to the population. ”
With the increase in water access points, the canton nevertheless plans to strengthen surveillance, like municipal swimming pools. Discussions are currently being carried out with the municipalities. “They take into account the danger of the site and the delimitation of the body of water”, details the director, who notes that “restricting the bathing area is not necessarily to the taste of bathers”. The state is counting on everyone’s responsibility. It will soon standardize the panels indicating that swimming is not monitored.
Pools with guarded beaches
In the canton of Vaud, in Nyon, the Colovray swimming pool, which has access to the lake delimited, employs six skins per day, which are distributed between the Olympic basin, the non-nings and the lake basin. “The days of great crowds, weekends and Wednesdays, we add one to two people in reinforcement, especially for the corner of the little ones,” explains Rute Botica, team chef of Nyon swimming pools. A “surveillance” position that has been strengthened in recent years, just like that of security.
On the other hand, the beach of the Trois Joutées, despite fittings such as changing rooms, outdoor showers, toilets and gaming squares, does not ensure any surveillance.
More incivility
In Vevey, the beach of the Corseaux swimming pool is delimited by buoys and flags indicate the dangerousness of swimming. Green, surveillance is ensured, orange, it is done but in addition to that of parents and red, swimming is prohibited for children.
The Corseaux-Plage swimming pool has thirteen skins that are distributed around the Olympic basin, around the non-swimmer basin and the paddling pool. A tournus is organized every fifteen minutes. One of the supervisors is dedicated only to the lake. “Ensuring security becomes more and more complicated, especially because of the incivility and the phenomenon of children left unattended, regrets Orsolya Bardocz, the manager of the Vevey swimming pool. I had to jump into the water myself to recover a 2-year-old father, mother and child who could not swim. Sometimes the little ones find themselves alone at the lake and the parents are at the restaurant, all dressed. ”
She deplores the unconsciousness of some who think that children cannot drown in 30 centimeters of water, while 3 centimeters are enough. Problems that the whole Lake Geneva would encounter, according to the association of French and Ticino swimming pools, of which Orsolya Bardocz is a part.
The new swimming area along the Ouchy quay.
Marino Trotta – Ville de Lausanne
At the Bellerive-Plage swimming pool in Lausanne, the same rule of color flags applies. The entire site has 18 lifeguards. For the lake, nine to ten of them provide a tournus on the seven strikes about 50 meters long. One of them is dedicated to an water park, also monitored.
For the 5 kilometers of Lausanne shores, between Vuachère beach, next to Pully, and La Chamberonne beach, before Saint-Sulpice, “there is no legal obligation to monitor,” says the city of Lausanne. It is about the individual responsibility of each and everyone. ” Panels installed by the city are visible along the banks to inform the public of the authorized swimming areas. They cover all banks, with the exception of those regulated due to port activities. These panels also provide security advice as well as emergency numbers.
What attitude to adopt in bright waters?
In the event of a problem, call for help, emergency numbers, 117 for police, 118 for firefighters and 144 for medical emergencies. To families, the Swiss rescue company Address several recommendations. She recalls that drowning is the second most common cause of accidental death in children. They are particularly exposed, because their center of gravity is higher than that of adults. Their heavy head automatically leads them forward and down. Even a very shallow depth can endanger their lives. They drown in silence. Before 3 years old, they don’t have the strength to keep their heads out of the water.
The SSS insists on the need to keep the child under surveillance and not be distracted by his smartphone or a conversation. Finally, swimming aids, armbands or buoys, do not replace the attentive look of adults.
According to a recent rapport From the SSS, 53 people drowned in Lake Geneva in twelve years, between 2012 and 2024.
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