"Fun of Swimming After Drinking Alcohol" Repeated Water Accidents Highlight Danger of 'One More Drink'

169 Drowned in Water Accidents Over 5 Years, 30 Due to 'Drunk Swimming'
Online Cafes Flooded with 'Drunk Water Play' Recruitment Posts
"Isn't It Safe If We Just Play Safely?" Lack of Awareness Hinders Accident Prevention

Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-joo] "Isn't it okay as long as you're not drinking dangerously much?" , "I know the safety rules, but when you go out and get caught up in the atmosphere, it can't be helped."

As the summer vacation season begins in earnest, the number of people going to water play spots has surged, leading to a series of water-related accidents at the sea, valleys, and rivers. In particular, accidents caused by drinking during water activities continue to occur.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has recommended that for safe water play, people should never enter the water after drinking alcohol and should avoid water activities immediately after meals. However, there are no specific policies to ban drinking or regulate swimming under the influence at beaches, rivers, or valleys, which has resulted in these accidents not being eradicated.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, over the past five years, 169 people have died from water-related accidents, with more than 65% occurring between late July and mid-August, the vacation period. Among these, the highest number of deaths was recorded in early August. Of these, 30 people were found to have died in water accidents after drinking alcohol.

On the 20th of last month, according to police and fire authorities, at 5:29 p.m. on the 18th, two men in their 20s were transported to a hospital after a water accident in a valley in Sicheon-myeon, Sancheong-gun, with one of them dying.

It is known that the two had been drinking and playing in the water when they fell into deep water in the valley.

Photo by Yonhap News

One reason for the occurrence of drinking-related water accidents is the lack of awareness about the dangers of entering the water after drinking. Despite recognizing that swimming under the influence is dangerous, there is a complacency that accidents can be avoided if one is careful.

Kim (30, male), who recently went on vacation to a valley, said, "Why wouldn't I know it's dangerous? I know, but since it's vacation, I drank moderately." He added, "I thought being careful was enough. The valley water wasn't deep, so I didn't feel it was dangerous."

Kim also said, "I think it's okay if you drink just enough to enjoy the vacation mood," adding, "Excessive drinking is very risky, but if you are careful individually, I think there is no big problem."

On online communities such as cafes, posts about drinking water play experiences or calls for companions are easily found. On one camping community, a post was uploaded saying "I drank beer and played in the water." The comments included "If you drank, you have to play," and "Water play is the best."

Eventually, a post titled "I got injured while playing in the water after drinking" was posted on an online cafe. The author explained, "I will not do drinking water play today," and "I got a bruise on my arm while playing in the water."

College student Kang (25, female) said, "Isn't the fun of going on vacation drinking happily together and playing in the water?" and "There has never been any accident so far."

Photo by Yonhap News

As the same type of accidents occur every year, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety urged people to play in water only at places equipped with safety facilities and safety personnel, and to never play in areas where accidents have occurred or entry is prohibited. They also emphasized that drinking impairs judgment and response abilities in dangerous situations, making entering the water risky.

Seo Cheol-mo, Director of Prevention and Safety Policy at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said in a press release, "Many water play accidents leading to death are caused by carelessness such as poor swimming skills and swimming under the influence," and "When enjoying water play, please strictly follow safety rules to prevent accidents."

Meanwhile, the Ministry stated that wearing a life jacket is mandatory as a summer water play accident prevention rule. They also explained that if shoes or tubes drift away during water play, one should not try to retrieve them recklessly, and in emergencies where feet do not touch the bottom, one should wait for rescue in a "floating on back" position.

Additionally, children should always play in water within the sight of guardians, and to prevent COVID-19, it is advised to visit water play spots in small family groups and use personal towels and goggles.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.