KUCHING: The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) is planning to intensify its water safety campaign across the state to equip the public with essential swimming and rescue skills to reduce drowning incidents.
Its director Jamri Masan shared that at least 21 series of water safety campaigns will be conducted this year, targeting rural communities.
He pointed out that the decline in drowning cases, from 325 in 2023 to 279 in 2024, was the result of their water safety campaigns, which emphasise swimming skills from an early age.
“In fact, we will intensify this campaign in rural areas of Sarawak, where rivers are abundant.
“We will educate communities on swimming safety, rescue techniques, and understanding water conditions. Even a strong swimmer can fall victim to a strong current. It’s not enough to know how to swim – you must also know when and where to swim and how to save others.
“Our goal is to ensure everyone can swim, rescue others, and understand water safety dynamics,” he said after officiating the Sarawak Bomba annual parade and rank insignia ceremony at their headquarters this morning (Jan 28).
Jamri stated that the campaign will be mandatory for all seven zones in Sarawak, with each zone organising at least three series of programmes throughout the year.
“During our outreach efforts, we will not only address fire safety but also water safety,” he said.
According to statistics sighted by Sarawak Tribune, river-related drowning cases in Sarawak dropped from 185 in 2023 to 171 in 2024.
Similarly, beach-related drowning incidents decreased by 27 cases – from 88 cases to 61 during the same period.
Meanwhile, the statistic showed that there have been 2,007 drowning fatalities nationwide from 2018 to 2024.
Sarawak recorded the highest number of drowning fatalities in the seven-year period with 310 deaths, followed by Selangor (234), Johor (229), Sabah (220), Perak (210), and Kelantan (159).
