With the promised summer temperatures this Pentecost weekend, the recreational lakes and outdoor pools beckon. But keep your wits about you, emergency services warn. The open water is still very cold, which means hypothermia is lurking.
Joost van Kempen, board member of the Bossche Rescue Brigade in Den Bosch, also knows that many people put down a towel at a natural lake. But according to him, most people will not get further than paddling on Friday. “The water is about fifteen degrees. You don’t see much swimming now, except for the diehards who swim outside all year round,” he says.
Never go alone
It takes a few weeks for water to warm up. If you still want to take a dip, Van Kempen’s most important tip is: never go alone. “If something happens, there is always someone who can help. Also for parents with children: stay nearby and keep them in sight.”
According to him, it is also important to listen carefully to your body. His advice is not to enter the water all at once, but to let your body get used to the temperature. “Then you slowly notice whether you like it.”
Start the swimming season in natural water
The swimming season in natural water starts at the beginning of May. Via swimwater.nl you can view the water quality at each official swimming water location and see whether it is safe to swim there.
Cramps are one of the risks you run while swimming. “You usually feel it coming. Then your legs become heavy,” he says. If that happens to you, it is a good idea to float on your back. “That position is the least tiring. If you can, you have to get out of the water as quickly as possible.”
Christian Mous, chairman of the Bergen op Zoom Rescue Brigade, also warns of the risk of hypothermia when the water is still cold. “You start to shiver, your consciousness decreases. It can happen quickly without you noticing,” he says. “It’s also a bit of an overestimation of yourself that you think: ‘I can manage that’.”
Alcohol
In addition, according to him, it is risky to be hypothermic in the water. The body then switches off parts to send blood to the vital parts. “You really have to be actively warmed up.”
It may be tempting to put a beer or wine in your cool box for your day at the beach, but the chairman strongly advises against drinking alcohol. “You run the risk of overestimating yourself in the water. You also cool down twice as quickly and you are less aware of this.”
Drowning happens silently
The police also warn on social media against a ‘fresh dive’. The police mention the sudden cramp that can occur and say that alcohol does not promote alertness. That alertness is always necessary with water. “Drowning usually happens silently and without shouting. Someone usually sinks silently to the bottom. Don’t just jump after someone, but call 112.”
