Fears over water safety
We are urging families across the UK to improve their water safety knowledge amid fears that this summer will see a sharp rise in fatalities and accidents.
As part of our Drowning Prevention Week campaign, taking place this week, we are appealing for people to learn basic water safety and rescue skills, and build their confidence in, on and around the water, which could ultimately save lives.
We are fearful that there could be a significant rise in drowning accidents and fatalities across the UK this summer when lockdown restrictions lift further, with a worrying number of accidents already hitting the news.
Despite the number of accidental drownings dropping in the UK last year, latest statistics reveal that 623 people still died from drowning in the UK in 2019, and with lifeguard patrols currently postponed and emergency services already stretched to the limit, people are more at risk now than ever before.
As part of Drowning Prevention Week, families are being urged to access the RLSS UK’s free resources to learn how to keep themselves and their loved ones, safe.
The children’s resources aim to teach water safety in a fun and engaging way, whilst the Lifesaver-Lifechanger tool caters for older children and adults.
As mentioned, we are extremely concerned that this summer will see people rushing to jump into the water without proceeding with caution and understanding the potential life-threatening implications.
Although amazing work has been done to reduce the number of accidental drownings across the UK and Ireland, this year has been unprecedented in so many ways.
We have witnessed a recent increase in public euphoria and risk-taking behaviour.
We believe that the majority of drowning incidents can be prevented.
By learning to recognise to the potential dangers, and becoming confident in how to respond to an emergency, you could save a life
To access the resources, visit www.rlss.org.uk/dpw.
For more information on Drowning Prevention Week: Visit rlss.org.uk, Follow RLSS UK on Twitter
“We are fearful that there could be a significant rise in drowning accidents.”