#DrowningPrevention

I grew up on the river here in Galway, on the long walk. It was a very interesting childhood influenced hugely by the tide, the river and the sea and the people who worked on her. Me and my best childhood buddy, Tom Baille, spent our youth on each other’s family boats and messing around the docks and the commercial craft that came through there. If our parents knew what we were at we would have been killed! Our combined attitude towards water safety was absolute zero, words of caution from others were utterly ignored and stories of drowning were abstract to our young minds.

Things changed rapidly in one year at the age of nine, I accidentally cycled my bike off the quayside which scared the hell out of me permanently and that winter I watched two drowned bodies being retrieved from the river. I watched from my bedroom window as two souls were carried from a horrible car accident on the long walk by the fire brigade. The conversation about water safety was a constant after that.

My relationship with the sea and the river flourished as I grew up, sailing with Dad on our hooker ‘aoife’, rowing with the Jes, swimming, fishing, camping on the lake, in hindsight I was blessed to have such an encouraging Father when it came to water sports but its only now that I realise how lucky I was that he was so naturally considerate about safety at sea or near the water and imparted that to everyone who sailed with him or around him. I’ll never forget a trip to Inishturk in the late 90s, when Dad sailed a course towards an older lobster fisherman in his currach, he pulled alongside and bought a few lobsters off the man and before we parted Dad deposited a brand-new life jacket into his currach as the man had none. To me It was a subtle bit of symbolism that the attitude to water safety was changing and that safety at sea shouldn’t be complicated.

I think back then some men found safety measures to be emasculating; we are better off now as are the families of those who have seen the happy results of life jackets, epirbs, flares, serviced lifeboats etc.

Unfortunately, in my lifetime on the long walk the sound of the coast guard helicopter and the sight of the RNLI boat have only increased, suicides are more prevalent, drunken accidents more frequent. My sister Roisin Coyle and I have been involved with half a dozen river rescues. Its a bizarre situation to find yourself assisting in the saving of a fellow human’s life, initially it comes naturally but the aftermath of an incident is overwhelming, like a bad dream. It cannot be anywhere as complex and painful as the experience of the person in the water.

The conversations that follow those interventions are cathartic but the answers about water safety are vague, not as vague as the answers to suicide prevention.
However, my experience has brought me to a few conclusions, water safety must be taught and experienced to fully understand its value. From a young age, people need to comprehend the rapid danger of water as well as its rewards. Ethics need to become part of primary schooling education, personal safety, social responsibility are key to a safe society. Our infrastructure for water safety must be supported and celebrated, the hard work of many has made our water ways less dangerous.

Suicide prevention is an uncomfortable subject matter for most; it doesn’t need to be complicated – a little more kindness and a little more patience could make a huge difference to someone having a hard time.

Keep talking about water safety, make it a habit, encourage good behaviour in others and consider the limitations of the water.