Avon Fire & Rescue Service has urged parents to make sure their children know how to stay safe and enjoy the water this summer after performing over 15 rescues so far this year.
The service is supporting RLSS UK’s national Drowning Prevention Week campaign, which is running until 24th June 2023.
Drowning Prevention Week aims to equip everybody across the UK and Ireland with the skills and knowledge to make the right decisions about water safety.
Over 300 people accidentally drown in the UK and Ireland every year, and many more suffer injury, sometimes life-changing, when they survive drowning.
Meghann Elvin, Children and Young People Manager from AF&RS said: “We are proud to play our part in ensuring that families have a safe summer.
“We recognise how vitally important it is for children to know how to stay safe near water and urge our parents to access RLSS UK’s free water safety resources on the charity’s website.”
Figures show that around 25 per cent of primary pupils leave school unable to swim, and experts fear that as a result of the pandemic, many young people now lack the ability to swim or self-rescue.
Meghann added: “Even if your child can swim, they should always be supervised in and around water.
“We want children and parents to enjoy all the fun and benefits of being in and around water but be educated on how to do that safely.”
The Royal Life Saving Society UK’s Charity Director Lee Heard, said: “The UK’s beautiful waterways should be places where everyone feels at ease, and can take pleasure from their surroundings, whatever their age, whatever their activity level.
“We’re urging people to educate themselves and others on how to enjoy water safely and prevent a fun day out ending in tragedy.
“The Drowning Prevention Week campaign is crucial this year. In recent years, young people have missed out on the vital opportunity to swim, leaving a dramatic gap in school swimming and water safety education.
“RLSS UK believes that through free, accessible education and training, everyone can enjoy water safely.
“We urge as many parents as possible to get involved with the campaign, use our free online resources, and give their children the skills to enjoy a lifetime of fun in the water.”
You can visit www.rlss.org.uk/DPW to access the charity’s free water safety resources.
