The swimming season opens on May 1, and hundreds of people flock to reservoirs for recreation.
Water is a good friend and ally to humans, helping to derive maximum pleasure from recreation and improve health. However, at the same time, it does not tolerate carelessness and can be a source of increased danger. The consequences of careless behaviour will be most severe. This year, one water-related incident occurred in the Lepel district during swimming, resulting in one fatality. In 2025, during the swimming season, there were 2 water-related incidents, resulting in the drowning of 2 citizens. 7 citizens were penalised for swimming in prohibited areas.
The main cause of swimming accidents is non-compliance with water safety measures, underestimation of dangers, and inability to get out of difficult situations. Often, a person drowns not because they cannot swim, but because they panic. The most common causes leading to tragedy include intoxication, swimming long distances, hypothermia, muscle cramps, burst inflatable craft, lack of supervision for children, jumping from heights, and swimming in prohibited areas. Water safety is easiest to ensure at a specially equipped beach with lifeguards.
In accordance with the decision of the Lepel District Executive Committee No. 704 of June 6, 2024, and the decision of the Lepel District Executive Committee No. 1184 of October 2, 2024, designated areas for mass recreation of citizens have been established (city beach, Lake Svyatoye beach, Lepel Military Sanatorium beach, KUP DROTS Zhemchuzhina, Borovka village beach), as well as prohibited areas for swimming in reservoirs intended for fire-fighting water supply in the district, and areas not designated by the Lepel District Executive Committee for citizen recreation.
Water Safety Rules
People drown annually in Belarus. Many simply do not know how to stay afloat, so it is very important to master swimming techniques in childhood to feel confident and be able to help a drowning person if necessary. Water safety requires strict adherence to the following rules:
It is advisable to swim only at designated beaches equipped with all rescue and first aid facilities. Unfamiliar bodies of water may conceal dangers such as broken glass, snags, metal rods, and other debris.
Swimming in marshy areas, or where there is silt and algae, is prohibited. It is best to choose bodies of water with sandy or pebbly bottoms.
The duration of swimming should depend on the air and water temperature, as well as wind strength.
The recommended ambient temperature is at least +20°C in clear, windless weather.
Enter the water gradually, especially if the body is overheated from the sun.
Water safety in summer prohibits rough games involving submersion and holding underwater.
Swimming is permitted only 1.5-2 hours after a meal.
The duration of swimming should not exceed 15-20 minutes.
Visitors to beaches are prohibited from:
- swimming in areas where swimming is prohibited, as well as during dark hours;
consuming alcoholic, low-alcohol beverages, beer, narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their analogues, toxic or other stupefying substances on beaches;
swimming while intoxicated and/or under the influence of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their analogues, toxic or other stupefying substances;
- swimming beyond the boundaries marking the beach area;
- approaching vessels and floating objects;
- climbing on technical and warning signs, buoys, or other objects;
- swimming on sports equipment, boards, loungers, logs, car inner tubes, inflatable mattresses, or other items;
- using rescue equipment and gear for purposes other than intended;
- organising games in the water involving diving and grabbing swimmers, or engaging in any other actions that may cause an accident;
- giving false alarm signals;
- leaving children under 14 years of age unsupervised;
- washing laundry, vehicles, or bathing animals.
- Jumping into water from vessels, floating objects, bridges, piers, wharves, dams, other hydraulic structures and devices is prohibited, as is the entry, manoeuvring and anchoring of vessels in the vicinity of beaches and bathing areas, the boundaries of which are marked by buoys.
Children's Safety on Water
Water is a dangerous element even for adults, and it is doubly dangerous for children. Moreover, accidents most often happen not with those children who cannot swim (as a rule, they do not go deep into the water), but with those who consider themselves excellent swimmers. Therefore, safe behaviour of children on water primarily depends on parents. Children under 14 years of age must be near water only when accompanied by adults.
The very first and most important rule is that preschool and primary school-aged children must swim strictly under adult supervision.
Teenagers can swim without adult supervision only in designated areas. The largest number of tragedies occurs precisely in water bodies not intended for swimming.
Children splashing in the water usually do so very emotionally and make a lot of noise. A sudden silence must alert parents. Before going to a camp or resort, you should clearly explain to the child what safe behaviour on water is and what the consequences of not following the rules are.
Swimming for children is permitted in designated areas agreed with the territorial state sanitary inspection bodies and the Belarusian Voluntary Society for the Rescue of Persons on Water (OSVOD). The bottom of the areas designated for children's swimming should have a gradual slope, without pits, ledges and dangerous objects, with depths not exceeding:
0.7 metres - for children up to 9 years old;
1.2 metres - for children from 9 to 14 years old.
Children's safety on water is achieved through a set of organisational and technical measures, which primarily consist of:
- the correct choice of a place for children to swim and its equipment in accordance with the Rules;
- constant monitoring of the behaviour of children in the water (when bathing young children, stay close to them at arm's length)
Rescuing a Drowning Person
Water safety rules state that the best course of action is to call for rescuers or people who are good swimmers. However, if the situation requires you to rescue a person in distress single-handedly, the following recommendations will help you do it correctly:
First, try to calm the drowning person and let them know that help is near. Sometimes this is enough for the person to stop panicking and swim to shore on their own.
The most effective rescue method is to extend a long pole or rope from a boat or the shore to the drowning person, which they can grab onto and swim out. If a lifebuoy is available, throw it.
It is best to approach the person in distress from behind, as a drowning person instinctively grabs their rescuer, restricting their movements and may even unintentionally knock them out with a strong blow.
Turn the person onto their back and swim to shore with them.
If they resist and pull the rescuer underwater, you can submerge with them for a few seconds; this will help you break free from the drowning person's desperate grip.
If the drowning person has gone underwater, the rescuer should dive, grab the drowning person under the arms or by the hair underwater, push off the bottom strongly, and surface with them.
Adherence to basic safety measures at water bodies during the summer period will ensure your recreation is safe.
Head of the Lepel Rescue Station Mikhno I.A.