UAE: Officials warn beach goers against leaving children unattended

UAE families have been warned against leaving their children unattended while they swim in the sea or play at the beaches.

With temperatures soaring to over 40°C, many residents are visiting the beaches, especially during the weekends, to cool off in the summer heat.

In a new social media campaign on the safety of beach-goers, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) highlighted the importance of keeping a constant eye on the kids as they hit the waves. Failure to adequately monitor the children can expose them to danger, the ministry said.

The ministry said families should not allow children to enter the sea without the supervision of an adult to avoid the risks of drowning.

Authorities reminded parents that they are responsible for taking care of the kids while swimming.

"Parents are responsible for taking good care of their children all the time. They should not get distracted by phones or other things while at the beach with the kids," said officials.

Abu Dhabi Police had earlier advised that the best way to prevent an accident is by not allowing children to be alone in the sea or at the beach.

Police averred that a child could drown in just a few minutes without being noticed.

"Unfortunately, most cases of drownings at the beaches are mainly due to negligence of family and lack of swimming skills," they said.

The force also stressed the importance of providing children with swimming vests or life jackets, if required.

Families have also been advised to stay in areas where there are rescue platforms or lifeguards, adhere to the safety warning signs on the beaches, and not swim in deep areas of the sea to avoid drowning accidents.

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Beach-goers have also been told to follow instructions and avoid swimming at night or in the early morning hours.

"Swimmers should shun areas in the sea with high waves and strong currents," said the police. "Some people swim in the restricted areas of the sea despite warnings and erected red flags."

Police said lifeguards sometimes warn beach-goers not to swim because of certain weather conditions or other reasons, but people ignore them and venture into the water.