How 4-year-old Tytus Donizak saved himself after falling into The Grand Canal

A very frightening situation.

With the weather picking up and restrictions easing off a little bit, many of us will be heading to beaches and lakes to swim and cool off. While we do, it's important to always be vigilant and safety conscious around water, especially for those of us with small children, as this story illustrates just how quickly an accident can occur. Last summer four-year-old Tytus Donizak from Maynooth, Co Kildare was playing with his cousin, fishing leaves out of The Grand Canal in Celbridge, when he fell into the water. Mum Joanna Donizak was sitting on the bank watching the boys play, with Tytus’ new baby brother in her arms, and within a blink of an eye Tytus fell head first into the canal. By the time she had put the baby down in a safe place and jumped into the canal, Tytus had managed to come back up to the top of the water and was floating on the surface. Joanna said;

“Tytus just rocketed back up to the top just like his teacher Joanne taught him in his weekly Water Babies class. Thankfully he wasn’t traumatised after the incident as he was used to going under the water.”

As we enter National Water Safety Awareness Week, here are some important safetly guidelines that parents and carers can use to minimise the chances of a tragic incident befalling their child this summer and all through the year: -Actively supervise young children around water -Parents must keep an eye on their children at ALL times – they can be easily distracted chatting to other parents, reading a newspaper or talking on the phone. -Supervising adults should be in arms reach of children under five so that if a child slips underwater, they can be pulled to safety immediately -The adult watching MUST be able to swim and not afraid to jump in the water. -If leaving, even momentarily, take your child with you or designate a known adult to supervise – never leave an older sibling in charge around water. -Empty Paddling pools when they are not in use, and turn them upside down.