Recently, the number of deaths of children during recreation on the water and near water bodies has increased. The Investigative Committee of Russia draws attention to the need to comply with safety rules and urges citizens to be careful when children are near water bodies.

Every year during summer holidays the number of tragic incidents with children in the Russian regions increases. The Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia always demands from his subordinates to carefully establish all circumstances of tragic deaths of children and persons responsible for life and health of the minors.

In May-June of the current year only, cases of children's deaths occurred in Kabardino-Balkar Republic, Chechen Republic, Stavropol, Khabarovsk, Perm, Krasnodar, Altai Territories, Sverdlovsk, Tyumen, Arkhangelsk, Samara, Kostroma, Leningrad, Tula, Yaroslavl Regions and other territories.

Thus, on May 16 a 10-year-old Belgorod citizen drowned on a city beach; on June 8 in Kemerovo Region girls of 4 and 11 years were near a water object and sat on a bridge pontoon. At some moment they fell into water. The witnesses of the incident managed to save the elder girl, and the body of the younger child was found by rescuers in several kilometers down the stream. In Omsk Region on June 2 a 15-year-old teenager without warning his parents rode his bike with other kids to swim in Artynka river, where, despite warning signs on the river bank, he fell into a hole at the bottom of the river and drowned. The investigative departments of the Investigative Committee of Russia are investigating probes into these facts under Article 109 of the Criminal Code of Russia (infliction of death by negligence). 

In a number of cases, children die, including as a result of criminal negligence, as well as due to the lack or drawbacks of organization of children's recreation and the necessary supervision by parents and teachers, whose duties include monitoring the behavior of children and their leisure time. For example, in the Republic of Karelia a probe (under Part 3 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code of Russia) has been launched into death of 3 underage teenagers on June 11, who drowned in Onezhskoe Lake in Petrozavodsk. During the investigation a legal assessment will be given to actions of officials of Petrozavodsk administration that failed to ensure safety of citizens from water accidents. On May 22, 2021 a 15-year-old teenager drowned during independent amateur diving in the area of the water sports base in Vladivostok. The Primorsky Territorial Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia launched a probe into this matter under Part 1 of Article 109 of the Criminal Code of Russia. In the Republic of Adygea a probe was launched against a 45-year-old man (Part 1 of Article 109 of the Criminal Code of Russia) who on June 1 was on the territory of a recreation center near a pond with his 7-year-old son for the purpose of fishing. However, later the man went to the guest house, however, upon returning to the pier, he did not find his underage son, but noticed the child's shoes in the pond. The body of the boy was found as a result of search and rescue activities by Adygea EMERCOM officers.

The Investigative Committee of Russia reminds that every water body is a source of increased danger. The main reasons for the death of children in the water are: being left unattended near water bodies; non-observance of safety rules on the water; inability of children to swim; swimming in unidentified and unequipped places; insufficient attention to the problems of preventing child mortality on the water by officials.

Only strict adherence to safe behavior on the water can prevent trouble!

To avoid tragic deaths, do not allow uncontrolled walks of children near water bodies!

Don't forget that the children's safety is the responsibility of adults!