Drowning prevention at Olympic Day
This year, the Ville de Toulon chose to combine the discovery of Paris 2024 Olympic disciplines with drowning prevention.
On June 26, the Drowning Prevention Day in natural environments was organized at the La Plage (anse Mistral) recreation center for children aged 6 to 12, enrolled in Toulon leisure centers. In the presence of Josée Massi, mayor of Toulon, 4 workshops were offered to them to prevent drowning-related risks: 'Alerting' to learn how to communicate effectively with emergency services, 'Life-saving gestures' to acquire the right reflexes when facing a person in distress, 'Recovery positions and waiting' to learn how to place an injured person in the recovery position, and 'visit of a first-aid station and swimming zone regulations'. In addition, Laurent Bonnet, deputy mayor in charge of Sports, and Valérie Mondone, deputy mayor in charge of Youth, also went to meet the young participants of these two events, first at the La Plage (anse Mistral) recreation center and then at the Centre municipal des plages (anse des Pins).
1,000 DROWNINGS PER YEAR
In France, accidental drownings are responsible for about 1,000 deaths every year, and represent the leading cause of death by everyday accidents among those under 25. In summer, it is therefore essential to raise awareness, inform, and prevent accident risks linked to water activities. Water sports were indeed on the agenda during this Olympic Day. Young Toulon residents and the general public were able to try swimming, water polo, sailing, but also many other disciplines included in the program of this 33rd Olympiad. It is Olympic Day that marked the birth of the modern Olympic Movement and the founding of the Comité International Olympique (CIO).