8-year-old boy drowns in pond in Oman

Muscat An eight-year-old boy has died after he drowned in a farm pond, according to the Royal Oman Police.
The tragic accident happened on Monday evening, at a farm in the Dot area of Dhank, around 312km from Muscat. Salim Al Badi, a resident in the area, confirmed the news saying that the child was transferred to Dhank hospital and then to Ibri hospital.
“The deceased child was swimming with other children in a water pool inside a farm. When he started drowning the other children called the expat worker in the farm to save the child but he reached too late. The child was first transferred to Dhank hospital and then to Ibri but after some time he was pronounced dead by the hospital officials,” said Al Badi.
The Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA) has urged people to swim in only the designated areas.
Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance PACDA advices that people must swim in designated areas only and have a fixed ladder on the side of the pool to rest on while swimming. Also, they should use life jackets and floaters for children.
"Swimming pools should not be filled completely when these are used by children as well and there should be an adult monitoring them at all times," PACDA advised. Also, adults leaving the last should check that no children are left behind. Recently, of the two 14 year old boys who had gone swimming, one drowned, while his friend survived after he was rescued by the coast guards from the Royal Oman Police. Parents have been urged to monitor their children when they swim in the sea.
PACDA statistics show that 113 recorded cases of drowning occurred in 2015, down from 150 in 2014 and 292 in 2013.
Seas, valleys (wadis), water canals, dams, pools, wells, open water reservoirs, ponds, wadis during rainy season are among some of the places where rescue operations had to be carried out.
According to PACDA’s annual statistics, 55 rescue operations were carried out in wadis, 26 in seas, two at pools, two in swamps and 11 at wells, two at dams and seven where waste water had accumulated.