With the onset of warm weather, residents and guests of our town go out of town in their free time, to water bodies, to relax and regain their strength in the lap of nature. Often, while relaxing, citizens forget about water safety measures, which leads to tragic consequences.
With the onset of warm weather, residents and guests of our town go out of town in their free time, to water bodies, to relax and regain their strength in the lap of nature. Often, while relaxing, citizens forget about water safety measures, which leads to tragic consequences.
In 2020, 79 citizens died in water bodies in the region, 17 citizens while swimming, including: 57 men, 19 women, and 2 minors. In 2021, 3 citizens drowned in water bodies, and 2 citizens drowned in the territory of Lepel district.
In the territory of Lepel district in 2020, 3 citizens drowned in water bodies.
In order to ensure the protection of public order, personal and property safety of citizens in places of mass recreation, children's camps, prevent deaths in water, and fires in forests and peatlands, and to have a real impact on the operational situation, the internal affairs department of the Lepel District Executive Committee deploys police patrols in places of mass recreation to ensure that nothing interferes with people's rest. The appearance of a police officer in uniform in places of mass recreation makes vacationers more disciplined, which reduces the risk of accidents. The measures taken to ensure public order in places of mass recreation are aimed at reducing the risk of accidents and various offenses against vacationers.
In this regard, we would like to clarify the following: recreation areas, forests, riverbanks, lakes, beaches, etc., are public places during citizens' recreation. Administrative responsibility will arise if the consumption of alcoholic and low-alcohol beverages occurs in the presence of citizens. Do not forget about responsibility for violating environmental safety regulations and nature management order, as well as fire safety.
Appearing in public places while intoxicated, to the detriment of human dignity and morality, means appearing in a state of alcoholic or other intoxication, clearly violating generally accepted norms of behaviour with loud shouting, loss of shame, and an indecent appearance (dirty, wet, unbuttoned clothing) that evokes disgust and revulsion.
For citizens who fail to comply with the law, measures of responsibility are provided for administrative offences: drinking alcoholic, low-alcohol beverages or beer in a public place or appearing in a public place while intoxicated (Art. 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Belarus) entails a fine of up to 8 basic units; in case of repeated commission within a year – from 2 to 15 basic units or administrative arrest; setting fires in prohibited areas (Art. 16.41 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Belarus) – a fine of up to 12 basic units; polluting forests and other woody and shrubby vegetation by citizens (Art. 16.22 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Belarus) – a fine of up to 10 basic units, for an entrepreneur up to 20 basic units; swimming in prohibited areas (Art. 24.42 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Belarus) – from 1 to 3 basic units.
For 3 months of the current year, 131 citizens have been prosecuted for appearing in public places while intoxicated (142 in 2020), and 1 citizen has been brought to administrative responsibility for drinking alcoholic beverages in public places (8 in 2020), of which 1 citizen (4 in 2020) was for drinking low-alcohol beverages and beer.
It is dangerous to swim while intoxicated, in prohibited and unassigned places, to go out on the water in a faulty boat or one not equipped with life-saving devices, to sit on its sides, or to move from one place to another or from one boat to another while moving.
One should swim no earlier than 1.5 – 2 hours after a meal.
Those who cannot swim are not allowed to use boats, inflatable devices, or other items not equipped with special swimming aids.
Do not swim alone, in the dark, or in rough waves.
Do not jump into water in places with unknown depth and bottom relief.
Do not swim far from the shore; assess your strength.
Do not leave children unattended near water bodies.
Do not jump into the water from dams, piers, boats, or vessels;
Do not give false distress signals;
Do not use boards, logs, inflatable mattresses, car inner tubes, or other auxiliary devices for swimming;
Lack of parental supervision leads to the loss of children. It is important to remember that water does not forgive carelessness.
To avoid accidents and the loss of your loved ones and children, please try to observe the above rules and safety measures on the water. In case of emergencies, you can report them to the police by calling 102, the Ministry of Emergency Situations rescue service by calling 101, or the ambulance service by calling 103.
Head of the Department for Law and Order Protection
and Prevention of the Lepel District Department of Internal Affairs.
Police Lieutenant Colonel I.A. Mikhno
Chairman of the Lepel District
OSVOD Organisation R.P. Stripeikis