Police have warned parents to prevent children from playing around water bodies such as lakes, rivers, streams and swimming pools to avoid accidents. The warning follows the death of a ten-year old boy after he drowned in Nyiranduhura stream in Huye District on Sunday as he was fetching water. Reacting to the incident, the Southern Region Police spokesperson, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) André Hakizimana, challenged parents and guardians to be more responsible by preventing and protecting their children from getting close to such risky places. “This was an unfortunate but preventable act, if the victim was accompanied, he probably would have been saved,” said CIP Hakizimana. “Children need constant parental attention. They should not be abandoned or allowed to play around water bodies without being watched. Parents need to monitor their children,” he advised. Children in rural areas tend to drown in ponds, lakes and rivers while many children who live near lakes and rivers are tempted to go fishing or swimming without elders watching, said Hakizimana. According to Police, some children drown after sliding on weak water banks while others are pushed by their colleagues while playing in or around water bodies. “It is so unfortunate that parents can send children at a tender age to fetch water on their own, worse still in a stream. It’s an obligation of parents to bar children from accessing such water bodies, but it even goes beyond father-mother role. All Rwandans should take the initiative to protect any child against any harm,” CIP Hakizimana said. He urged the public to always call the Police, on toll-free lines – 110 (maritime), 111 (fire) and 112 (emergency), for immediate rescue in case of such incidents.
