Lifesavers urge Scots to take care in open water after week of tragedy
Scots have been warned to take care in open water after a spate of drownings in lochs.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) issued an appeal after seven people – including four young boys – died in one week, which rescue services described as the worst in living memory.
Edina Olahova, 29, her nine-year-old son, Rana Haris Ali, and their friend Muhammad Asim Riaz died in Loch Lomond near Ardlui last Saturday.
On the same day an 11-year-old boy died in a river near Stonehouse, South Lanarkshire and a 13-year-old boy died in the River Clyde near Lanark, while a 16-year-old boy died near the pier at Balloch Country Park on July 23.
It was also announced last Friday that Aman Sharma, 34, from Edinburgh died in hospital after being rescued from Loch Lubnaig last Sunday. The National Water Safety Forum’s water incident database recorded 39 similar fatalities in Scotland last year.
There was an average of 43 deaths a year on the water between 2018 and 2020, the UK’S highest toll.
Michael Avril, water safety lead for the RNLI in Scotland, said: “Hot temperatures make taking a dip at the coast, in a river or loch all the more tempting but we’re desperate for people to realise the dangers that can lurk beneath the surface.”
He added: “Even with air temperatures rising, the water around Scotland’s coast and in our inland waterways rarely gets far above 10°C.
“When we’re suddenly submerged in water below fifteen degrees, our body experiences ‘cold water shock’.
“This causes you to gasp for air, thrash around and puts you at risk of sinking below the water.”
The RNLI has urged water users to visit its website and read the Float To Live message, watch videos and share the lifesaving technique with friends and family.
The RNLI’S advice is: if you get into difficulty in water, fight your instinct to thrash about, extend your arms and legs, lean back in the water, keep your chin up and airway open, breath and hold this position for 60-90 seconds.
The body will then adjust to the water temperature and your breathing will return to normal and help can be sought. Avril added: “We always encourage people to follow our basic safety advice.”