ISTANBUL
Doctors are warning heatwave-stricken Istanbulites to be careful while swimming as a spate of drownings makes headlines in Turkey.
Thousands of people in Istanbul have been flocking to coastal spots to escape some extremely hot weather, which has seen temperatures reach a scorching 40C (104 Fahrenheit), according to meteorology officials.
However, at least 100 people have drowned across the country in the last three weeks in lakes, pools, and at sea while trying to cool off.
Tiredness, cramps, seizures and heart attacks can all lead to drowning says Dr. Gurkan Ersoy from the Medical Faculty Emergency Department at Dokuz Eylul University in Izmir.
Those having a chronic illness should be watchful when swimming, he adds, warning that it is dangerous to drink and swim or to go into the sea with a full stomach.
Istanbul Governor’s office issued a warning on Wednesday about swimming, saying there had been an increase in the drownings in the city, especially at weekends.
The city’s water and sewer utility, ISKI, already released a warning in July saying approximately 900 people drown each year in Turkey, especially in reservoirs and rivers.
One such incident happened on August 2, when two sisters aged 12 and 10 drowned while playing in Imali Dam Lake on a family day out in the Turkoglu district of southern Kahramanmaras province.
Another 10-year-old child drowned on Wednesday in Turkey’s touristic Bodrum district of western Mugla province while playing in an aqua park.
In northern Bartin province, 47-year-old Huseyin Isik died on Monday while he was trying to rescue his aunt, who got into difficulties while swimming.
On Tuesday, 30-year-old Mustafa Fidan went missing while swimming in Istanbul's Sile district. Rescue teams found his body after a day of searching.
A preventive action plan called ‘Safe Seas’ has been prepared by Marmara and Straits Coast Guard Regional Command in order to bring the tragedies to a halt.
Teams have been assigned Istanbul territorial waters as a precaution and for search-and-rescue operations, the city governor's office said on Wednesday.
Helicopters will also be flying to check for any possible drowning risk around the city's Sile and Kilyos areas, which are home to many popular resorts.
