The situation was commented on Thursday to the portal Žmonės.lt by the head of the Klaipėda County Department of the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service, Gintarė Noliūtė.
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“First of all, it is important to be glad that the child was not harmed, that rescuers noticed him in time and took care of his safety. Child rights defenders are concerned that when spending time by the sea or other bodies of water with children, parents or other adults do not always sufficiently assess the risks that may arise for minors. This is also revealed by the mentioned case.
It is important to remember that leaving a minor child unattended by the water even for a minute can end in a tragic accident. In this particular case, the most important thing is that the parents who were with the child critically evaluate what happened and properly take care of him in the future.
Child rights defenders will contact the rescuers regarding this case. If the family can be identified, we will also contact them, discuss the incident and the circumstances under which the child may not have been properly cared for. Everyone can have such moments, so we want not to find fault but to help the family see the risks and prevent them from recurring.
It is natural that families relax during holidays and sometimes lose vigilance. Therefore, during this period, child rights defenders urge parents, guardians, and other adults to pay special attention to children’s safety. Although summer is coming to an end, swimming in bodies of water continues.
Child rights defenders remind that before deciding to swim, it is necessary to make sure that a flag permitting swimming is raised at the sea, the access to the body of water or pool is not slippery, and the chosen place is safe.
It is always important to follow the instructions of rescuers, not to jump into unfamiliar bodies of water, not to swim too far from the shore, and to remind children that inflatable rings or other floating devices are not safety measures and do not replace adult supervision. Younger children by the water should always be within arm’s reach.
Parents need to assess not only the child’s age but also their maturity, ability to orient themselves in the environment, follow safety rules, and make responsible decisions. Every child matures differently, so parents are best able to assess when the child is ready to spend some time without adult supervision.
Child safety begins with adult attention. Therefore, it is important not only to talk to children about safe behavior but also to be vigilant ourselves, not to be distracted by browsing on the phone or engaging in other side tasks. No rule or safety measure can replace a responsible adult who is nearby.
Child rights defenders plan to meet with rescuers and other specialists to discuss what can be done together to make the sea safer for children and to ensure that summer is remembered only with pleasant impressions,” G. Noliūtė told the news portal Žmonės.lt.
Parents were a few hundred meters away
We remind that Palanga rescuer Kajus Pirožnikas publicly drew attention to a situation that, according to him, could have ended in a tragic accident. He shared a video from the beach on his social networks and urged parents to take rescuers’ warnings very seriously.
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K. Pirožnikas indicated that at that time there was a 4-point wave in the sea and a red flag was raised, meaning swimming was strictly prohibited. Despite this, the video shows a minor girl swimming alone in the stormy sea.
According to the rescuer, the child’s parents were a few hundred meters away, on the dunes. K. Pirožnikas emphasized that in such a situation the child is left alone in an environment where help may be needed within just a few seconds.
“This is not ‘the child just wants to swim.’ This is not ‘we see her from afar.’ This is a real threat to the child’s life,” the rescuer said in his post.
He reminded that with strong waves, sea conditions can change instantly. The current can catch the child and carry them away from the shore, a strong wave can knock them down, and if caught in a hole or ripping current, the minor may no longer be able to return to shore independently. According to K. Pirožnikas, such conditions are dangerous even for experienced adults.
The rescuer also drew attention to another problem – children imitate adult behavior. If parents ignore the red flag and rescuers’ warnings, the child may get the impression that these prohibitions are not so important.
“How many more strangers’ misfortunes do we have to see before we start learning from them?” asked K. Pirožnikas.
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Because of such behavior, he publicly appealed to the Child Rights Service and responsible institutions, urging them to help fight cases where children’s lives are endangered due to irresponsible adult decisions.
K. Pirožnikas also addressed parents and urged them not to ignore the red flag even when the child insists that they will go to the sea “for a short time,” can swim, or the sea itself seems safe.
“The red flag means a real danger. Listen to the rescuers. Protect your children,” urged the Palanga rescuer.
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