{"id":46097,"date":"2024-12-19T08:13:54","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T06:13:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\/"},"modified":"2025-03-21T15:33:06","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T13:33:06","slug":"be-safe-around-water-20241218","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\/","title":{"rendered":"Be safe around water"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in the Free State calls on residents, particularly children, to be safe in and around bodies of water during this festive season, be it at lakes, canals, dams, rivers or even swimming pools to prevent drownings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt is important to always be vigilant and careful around water. Supervision is the best way to help prevent children from getting injured or drown,\u201d says Larry Crispin, spokesperson for the Free State DWS. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The DWS has experienced casualties of drowning on an annual basis, the most recent being the unfortunate incident in Meloding, Virginia, when a young child drowned while playing at a pond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The following safety warning when near water bodies: Stay away from dams and rivers when intoxicated. ) Do not swim in rivers and dams; you risk drowning or contracting waterborne diseases.) Do not leave children unattended around water.) Always have a designated adult appointed to watch over young children near any body of water.) Never allow a young child in the pool without an adult.) Do not allow a young child to play near an accessible swimming pool or sea.) Flotation devices, nets, and fences are no substitute for caution and supervision) Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).) Keep a list of emergency numbers programmed on your cell phone and make sure that everyone in the household knows how to access help.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>South Africa remains a water-scarce country. Everyone is encouraged to use water sparingly this festive season and beyond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in the Free State calls on residents, particularly children, to be safe in and around bodies of water during this festive season, be it at lakes, canals, dams, rivers or even swimming pools to prevent drow<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":46099,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"101cf5f1-96be-42ce-8f4b-772215fe6221","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"","background_color":"","block_editor":"","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7970],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-46097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Be safe around water | Vista<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Be safe around water\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in the Free State calls on residents, particularly children, to be safe in and around bodies of water during this festive season, be it at lakes, canals, dams, rivers or even swimming pools to prevent drow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Vista\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VistaNewsNuus\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-12-19T06:13:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-21T13:33:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/4960fb8d4b51468db02bb4cf6e1c7657.jpg?fit=1024%2C1365&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1365\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Vista\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Vista\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Vista\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/21061a6ffd102003447c400f78cc5bfe\"},\"headline\":\"Be safe around water\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-19T06:13:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-21T13:33:06+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":249,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/4960fb8d4b51468db02bb4cf6e1c7657.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2024\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\\\/\",\"name\":\"Be safe around water | Vista\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/4960fb8d4b51468db02bb4cf6e1c7657.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-19T06:13:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-21T13:33:06+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/4960fb8d4b51468db02bb4cf6e1c7657.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/4960fb8d4b51468db02bb4cf6e1c7657.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":1365,\"caption\":\"The DWS has experienced casualties of drowning on an annual basis, the most recent being the unfortunate incident in Meloding, Virginia, when a young child drowned while playing at a pond. Marti Will\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Be safe around water\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/\",\"name\":\"Vista News\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Vista News\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/vista-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/vista-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Vista News\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/VistaNewsNuus\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/vistanewspaper\"],\"description\":\"Vista is a regional newspaper based in Welkom, the capital of Matjhabeng Municipality, in the central Free State. Vista, an English\\\/Afrikaans publication, first brought news to the community on 23 April 1971, with the following message on the front page: \u201cWe are here to write about the Goldfield and its people. We are here to serve the area in which we find ourselves, and with the help of our readers \u2013 who refine us with their constructive criticism.\",\"email\":\"vistanews@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"+27573571304\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/21061a6ffd102003447c400f78cc5bfe\",\"name\":\"Vista\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9314f07ac8cd90ba9f9b01f9bc9c51ab642163d2b4e145dce575ce1d9f0cce5f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9314f07ac8cd90ba9f9b01f9bc9c51ab642163d2b4e145dce575ce1d9f0cce5f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9314f07ac8cd90ba9f9b01f9bc9c51ab642163d2b4e145dce575ce1d9f0cce5f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Vista\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/author\\\/vista\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Be safe around water | Vista","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Be safe around water","og_description":"The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in the Free State calls on residents, particularly children, to be safe in and around bodies of water during this festive season, be it at lakes, canals, dams, rivers or even swimming pools to prevent drow","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\/","og_site_name":"Vista","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VistaNewsNuus","article_published_time":"2024-12-19T06:13:54+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-21T13:33:06+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":1365,"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/4960fb8d4b51468db02bb4cf6e1c7657.jpg?fit=1024%2C1365&ssl=1","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Vista","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Vista","Est. reading time":"1 minute"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\/"},"author":{"name":"Vista","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/#\/schema\/person\/21061a6ffd102003447c400f78cc5bfe"},"headline":"Be safe around water","datePublished":"2024-12-19T06:13:54+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-21T13:33:06+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\/"},"wordCount":249,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/4960fb8d4b51468db02bb4cf6e1c7657.jpg","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2024","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\/","name":"Be safe around water | Vista","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/4960fb8d4b51468db02bb4cf6e1c7657.jpg","datePublished":"2024-12-19T06:13:54+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-21T13:33:06+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/4960fb8d4b51468db02bb4cf6e1c7657.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/4960fb8d4b51468db02bb4cf6e1c7657.jpg","width":1024,"height":1365,"caption":"The DWS has experienced casualties of drowning on an annual basis, the most recent being the unfortunate incident in Meloding, Virginia, when a young child drowned while playing at a pond. Marti Will"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-safe-around-water-20241218\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Be safe around water"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/","name":"Vista News","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/#organization","name":"Vista News","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/vista-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/vista-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Vista News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VistaNewsNuus","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/vistanewspaper"],"description":"Vista is a regional newspaper based in Welkom, the capital of Matjhabeng Municipality, in the central Free State. Vista, an English\/Afrikaans publication, first brought news to the community on 23 April 1971, with the following message on the front page: \u201cWe are here to write about the Goldfield and its people. We are here to serve the area in which we find ourselves, and with the help of our readers \u2013 who refine us with their constructive criticism.","email":"vistanews@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"+27573571304","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/#\/schema\/person\/21061a6ffd102003447c400f78cc5bfe","name":"Vista","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9314f07ac8cd90ba9f9b01f9bc9c51ab642163d2b4e145dce575ce1d9f0cce5f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9314f07ac8cd90ba9f9b01f9bc9c51ab642163d2b4e145dce575ce1d9f0cce5f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9314f07ac8cd90ba9f9b01f9bc9c51ab642163d2b4e145dce575ce1d9f0cce5f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Vista"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/author\/vista\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/4960fb8d4b51468db02bb4cf6e1c7657.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":52841,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/free-state-water-levels-recorded-20230721\/","url_meta":{"origin":46097,"position":0},"title":"Free State water levels recorded","author":"Vista","date":"21 July 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The Department of Water and Sanitation\u2019s (DWS) weekly state of reservoirs report indicates that the Bloemfontein water supply system, with four dams supplying water to Mangaung and surrounding areas, is at 98.4%.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1a4d07bbb1f845d783a8c1020b8ea72f.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1a4d07bbb1f845d783a8c1020b8ea72f.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1a4d07bbb1f845d783a8c1020b8ea72f.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1a4d07bbb1f845d783a8c1020b8ea72f.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1a4d07bbb1f845d783a8c1020b8ea72f.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":55269,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/water-safety-highlighted-20221214-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":46097,"position":1},"title":"Water safety highlighted","author":"Vista","date":"15 December 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Drownings are a serious concern especially among church congregants, children and elderly people who cannot swim.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/3a0e784751324a7f88d1500949957927.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/3a0e784751324a7f88d1500949957927.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/3a0e784751324a7f88d1500949957927.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/3a0e784751324a7f88d1500949957927.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46269,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/sewage-qualms-sternly-addressed-20241205-3\/","url_meta":{"origin":46097,"position":2},"title":"Sewage qualms sternly addressed","author":"Vista","date":"5 December 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The Department of Water and Sanitation\u2019s (DWS) deputy minister (DM), Sello Seitlholo, conducted an oversight visit in Meloding following the drowning of a 14-year-old boy.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/868ff00627e547d5b9aed3c6f705df5a.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/868ff00627e547d5b9aed3c6f705df5a.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/868ff00627e547d5b9aed3c6f705df5a.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/868ff00627e547d5b9aed3c6f705df5a.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/868ff00627e547d5b9aed3c6f705df5a.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":55305,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-cautious-around-water-warned-the-police-in-the-goldfields-20221212\/","url_meta":{"origin":46097,"position":3},"title":"Be cautious around water warned the police in the Goldfields","author":"Vista","date":"12 December 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Drownings are a serious concern especially among church congregants, children and elderly people who cannot swim.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/128452e25a4d4a7aad6dc2a1f525c718.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/128452e25a4d4a7aad6dc2a1f525c718.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/128452e25a4d4a7aad6dc2a1f525c718.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/128452e25a4d4a7aad6dc2a1f525c718.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":55311,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/be-cautious-around-water-warned-the-police-in-the-goldfields-20221212-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":46097,"position":4},"title":"Be cautious around water warned the police in the Goldfields","author":"Vista","date":"12 December 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Drownings are a serious concern especially among church congregants, children and elderly people who cannot swim.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/d4e9ba5f0a7f4a869d185b330d72e478.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/d4e9ba5f0a7f4a869d185b330d72e478.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/d4e9ba5f0a7f4a869d185b330d72e478.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/d4e9ba5f0a7f4a869d185b330d72e478.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":294684,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/more-sluices-in-vaal-dam-opened-communities-warned\/","url_meta":{"origin":46097,"position":5},"title":"More sluices in Vaal Dam opened \u2013 communities warned","author":"Lientjie Mentz","date":"20 November 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The Department of Water and Sanitation warned residents next to the Vaal river in lower-lying areas to take percautions in the wake of sluice gates being opened at Vaal Dam.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Agriculture&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Agriculture","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/agriculture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/e4c37880-dffc-4a8d-934e-3c0883cd4138.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/e4c37880-dffc-4a8d-934e-3c0883cd4138.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/e4c37880-dffc-4a8d-934e-3c0883cd4138.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/e4c37880-dffc-4a8d-934e-3c0883cd4138.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/e4c37880-dffc-4a8d-934e-3c0883cd4138.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/e4c37880-dffc-4a8d-934e-3c0883cd4138.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Vista","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46097","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46097"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46097\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46097"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46097"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46097"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=46097"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=46097"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}