STAY Together

• When around water always go with friends or family.

• Swim at a lifeguarded venue.

1/3 ONLY 1/3 of adults stayed with others whilst in and around water last time they visited a water site.

Only 18% actively chose a Lifeguarded venue.

In this publication, we aim to challenge some of the perceptions that were evident in our research and show the importance of high-quality water safety education to keep people safe in, on and around water.

HOW IMPORTANT is it that I visit a lifeguarded water site?

Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) always recommends seeking out lifeguarded venues to help you and your family enjoy water safely.

In our analysis of 240 UK cases of accidental drowning, we saw that 73% of fatalities occurred in the absence of professional supervision, such as an RLSS UK qualified lifeguard.

We know that professional supervision plays a key role in keeping people safe: Qualified Pool Lifeguards are able to intervene if they spot unsafe behaviour or someone at risk of drowning. RLSS UK qualified lifeguards perform over 15,000 rescues a year helping to make swimming pools a safe place to swim.

Just 1% of all UK accidental drownings occur in swimming pools 1 .

73%

You can find lifeguarded venues via the links below:

• Outdoor swimming venues

• Aqua Parks

• Beaches

But I can swim, so I’M SAFE … AREN’T I? in, on and around water

Swimming is a vital skill and has been seen to positively contribute to both an individual’s physical and mental wellbeing2. Swimming is also often considered essential to staying safe in, on and around water.

At RLSS UK we know that keeping safe in all water environments requires additional knowledge and skills.

Through our research, we have seen that only around a third of UK adults have ever had any formal water safety education or training, and even fewer have received training in the last 5 years.

RLSS UK recommends that everyone has regular water safety education or training, especially when planning to visit water or participate in water-based activities. This will help ensure that we are prepared for all different water environments and have the knowledge to self-rescue in a range of different situations.

of fatalities occurred in the absence of professional supervision demonstrating that being able to swim alone isn’t a guarantee of being able to stay safe in all types of water.

Through our analysis of 240 cases of accidental drowning fatalities, we’ve seen that of those who lost their life were swimmers,

49%

What about my children, they can swim. ARE THEY SAFE?

Parents of children who have swimming lessons are more confident that their child knows how to stay safe in and around water. We’ve already recognised that swimming is vital, but are we right to assume that a child being able to swim is enough to prevent them from accidentally drowning?

Through the analysis of the accidental drowning of 168 children and young people aged 18 and under, we found that 35% were described by friends and family as being able to swim. What’s more, if we focus on those who were aged between 8 and 18 when they lost their life, 61% were swimmers.

What can we learn about these accidental drownings to help us understand why swimming alone might not be enough?

LOCATION Across the UK and Ireland children are predominantly taught to swim in a heated indoor swimming pool offering professional supervision, yet more than 3 in 5 accidental drownings amongst children aged 8 and over occurred in outdoor water, such as lakes, quarries, reservoirs, rivers, canals, lochs, and the sea, with pool drownings less common, relative to those aged 7 and under. These outdoor water sites pose different challenges for everyone, including swimmers, such as reduced water temperature, increased depth, and lack of supervision.

3 in 5 accidental drownings amongst children aged 8+ ocurred in outdoor water vs.

ACTIVITIES In over a half of cases we analysed, children aged 8-18 were playing water sports or participating in recreation on the water (rather than swimming) at the time of drowning. Perhaps those who can swim are more likely to over-estimate their ability to keep safe. We know that being able to demonstrate the right behaviours when participating in activities on the water is essential.

To help children achieve this goal, it is vital that they have access to high-quality water safety education to ensure they have the specific skills and knowledge required.