"They jumped from pontoon and drowned, diver quickly found bodies": Commander Mladenovic on Ada tragedy
"Our waters are not transparent like the sea, you don't know what's down there," says Mladenovic
Sixteen-year-old boys M.S. and S.C., who yesterday drowned in Lake Sava in Belgrade, were students of the Traffic School in Zemun, and the Lola Technical School in Zeleznik.
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It is assumed that they went to the river resort Ada Ciganlija to celebrate the end of the school year.
Marko Mladenovic from the Diving Unit of the Gendarmerie (Zandarmerija) told RTS that this police unit's on-duty team went to the scene as soon as they received the report, and that a diver found both bodies very quickly. He appealed on citizens not to use swimming spots with no lifeguards and to pay special attention to children.
Mladenovic also remarked that the official swimming season has not yet started, even in those places that are intended for swimming during the summer.
"They (the victims) were at a place where kayakers have their training sessions. They jumped from a pontoon there," said the commander, and added:
"Our waters are not transparent like the sea, you don't know what's down there. Something can stab people, they can get into deep grass as was probably the case here. At the point, panic sets in and people drag each other down," said Mladenovic.
He stressed that it is not known yet whether the teenagers were under the influence of alcohol.
Appeal
Mladenovic said that Serbia's Interior Ministry, MUP, uses every opportunity to appeal through the media and social networks on all citizens to pay attention to children near the water and not to use unofficial swimming locations.
"We appeal on owners of rafts and floating objects on the rivers to take care of safety, to wear life vests and not to go in the water while intoxicated," noted Mladenovic.
He also stressed that one should never jump in to try to help a drowning person.
"The message is not to go in under any circumstances, because in those situations, when someone is fighting for their life, they tend to drag the other person down with them. Our recommendation is to either call for help or provide a solid object or a rope that the person can hold on to and drag them to the shore, but never go in the water after a drowning person," explained Mladenovic.
(Telegraf.rs, RTS)