RIYADH , 5 May — Five members of a single Saudi family from Badr Al-Janoub, 80 kilometers from downtown Najran, drowned yesterday while they were picnicking at nearby Shaab Al-Osha valley, according to Brig. Hussein Al-Zahrani, director of the Civil Defense Department here.

Speaking to Arab News, Zahrani said the five died after falling into a dam three meters deep. A seven-year-old boy, also a member of the family, escaped death, and is now in intensive care.

The incident puts into tragic relief the issue of water safety in the Kingdom. The weather is getting warmer by the day, meaning more families are spending time either swimming in their villa or compound pools or picnicking by the Kingdom’s various dams, lakes and seaside.

An Arab News inquiry yesterday into this issue, following the deaths in Najran, revealed a shocking ignorance of water safety issues among the Saudi public.

Surely it is time the media and the relevant government authorities launched a campaign to educate families about the safety procedures?

Salim, 2, was sitting by the pool side watching his sisters frolicking about in the water. The girls were excellent swimmers, but that did not prevent a tragedy from almost occurring — as little Salim’s mother told Arab News from Jeddah.

"I usually send Salim outside with his sisters, who are nine and 11, and they are good at looking after him when I am busy. On Thursday last week, I told the children to go out and play and was sure to remind the girls to look after Salim and not allow him to go in the pool.

"Later, I was busy in the kitchen, but looked outside through the window from time to time to check on the children. Salim was sitting by the pool at the shallow end, and I could see one of girls holding him. So I turned away for five minutes. When I looked again, though, I saw Salim struggling in the deep end of the pool. The girls hadn’t even noticed! I ran out and screamed at one of the girls to save her brother, because I can’t swim. She pulled him out. I was in tears. I could have lost my son easily."

Salim was lucky.

But there are others who, every summer, are not.

In Riyadh a few weeks ago, a five-year-old boy drowned in his villa’s swimming pool.

A friend of his family told Arab News: "He was sitting on the side and kicking his legs in the water, and then all of a sudden he slipped off the edge and into the deep end of the pool.

His mother thought he was safe with the maid, who usually looks after him. But when she discovered his little body, it was too late to do anything."

If children do not know how to swim, they should be taught, or not allowed anywhere near a pool: one would have thought that such philosophy is simple common sense. Unfortunately, here in the Kingdom — where private swimming pools in villas and compounds are normal — the message evidently has not got through.

When there is a tendency to have children brought up by nannies, who themselves may be overworked and in many instances are unable to swim, the potential for mishap — and tragedy — increases. The situation is made more worrying when the fact that the Kingdom’s schools do not have swimming pools, and so swimming does not form any part of the national curriculum, is considered.

Layla lives in Jeddah and is the mother of two girls, aged six and three. After hearing about the five-year-old boy who drowned, she has become more vigilant.

"I never leave my children alone in the pool. Either I am watching them from the pool side or actually in the pool with them. I’m teaching how to swim — and in order to do that, I had to learn as well. I wasn’t taught when I was a child!"

Local health clubs should also liase with schools in order to introduce swimming lessons for all pupils.

Resorts and compounds should have professionally trained life guards to protect swimmers at all times.

There should be clear signs at all lakes, dams and seaside resorts warning of the dangers of going too close to the water’s edge.

Unfortunately, all of that will be too late for the five members of the single family who died yesterday.

The tragedy occurred when the seven-year-old who survived jumped into the dam to have a swim. Other members of the family, who had no idea about how deep the dam was, died while trying to rescue the boy after he got into difficulties.

Witnesses were unable to call the Civil Defense as there were no phone facilities in the area.

Last year, a five-member family died in the same area in similar circumstances.

Additional reporting by Manie Al-Hateela