On June 20, a lively and engaging water safety class themed “Sailing the Maritime Dream, Ensuring Children’s Safety” was held at the small theater of Changchun Street Primary School in Jiang’an District, Wuhan, Hubei Province. Organized by the Dunkou Maritime Office of Wuhan Maritime Safety Administration in collaboration with related agencies, the event brought maritime knowledge into the classroom through lectures, experiments, hands-on training, and interactive quizzes—delivering a practical and recreation course in water safety to help protect children during the summer holiday.
Three young maritime lecturers, focusing on the key topics of drowning prevention, pollution control of vessels on the Yangtze River, and basic navigation knowledge, concise and vividly taught essential life-saving rules such as how to identify dangerous waters, avoid risky behaviors, and perform effective calls for help and self-rescue techniques. The class also integrated the concept of Yangtze River ecological protection, sparking the children's enthusiasm to become environmental guardians while planting seeds of curiosity about exploring the blue oceans.
The “whirlpool simulation” experiment—demonstrated through a transparent water tank—visually showed how water currents form whirlpools, as well as the potential dangers following it, drawing gasps of awe from the students. In the life-saving equipment demonstration, maritime volunteers provided hands-on instruction on how to quickly and properly wear a life jacket, correctly throw and use life buoys, and showcased high-tech safety gear like smart life buoys and throwable rescue devices. One of the highlights was the students’ first experience with CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Under the detailed guidance of instructors, students enthusiastically learned CPR compression techniques and rhythms.
The excitement peaked during the “Water Safety Knowledge Quiz”, where 20 students, divided into two teams, competed in a rapid-fire round of multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions closely tied to the lecture content. Questions like “What should be your first reaction when you see someone fall into the water?” and “If you accidentally fall into the Yangtze River while playing, how should you rescue yourself?” had contestants thinking hard and responding quickly, while the audience eagerly prepared to join in. The room saw the waving hands and bursts of answers—which rooted the important safety knowledge deeply within all children with the atmosphere of laughter and learning.
Smiling faces full of joy and accomplishment were captured and preserved. The message of “safety first, prevention foremost” was deeply conveyed through this rich and immersive session. The students not only acquired valuable water safety knowledge and self-rescue skills, but also carried home a “safety toolkit” to shield them through the coming summer holiday. Meanwhile, the seeds of a blue maritime dream have quietly taken root in their young hearts, ready to set sail.
Reprinted from China Transportation News