Be Water Aware

Hi! My name’s Eilian Roberts and part of my role I lead on water rescue training across the Welsh Fire and Rescue Services, and sit on the All Wales Water Safety Forum.

As the weather begins to improve we’re joining other fire services across the UK and asking people to stay safe when spending time in and around water.

Later this month we’ll be supporting the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) ‘Be Water Aware’ campaign which runs from 24th - 30th April 2023.

The campaign is warning people of the risk of accidentally drowning when in or around water - there were 277 deaths in the UK from accidental drowning in 2021 in inland and coastal locations. 40% of people who lost their lives had no intention of entering the water, with slips, trips and falls being the main cause of them entering the water.

Many others underestimate the risk of jumping into water where unseen hazards and cold water can endanger even the strongest swimmers.

Even on a warm day the temperature in open water can remain very cold, causing cold water shock, a physical reaction which can make it difficult to control breathing, cause panic and make it difficult to swim.

If you do find yourself in difficulty in the water, people are urged not to panic and ‘Float To Live’. This means leaning back in the water and spreading your arms and legs to stay afloat, control your breathing, when the effects of cold water shock have passed call out for help or swim to safety.

If someone is in trouble in water, call 999. At the coast ask for the coastguard. If you are inland, ask for the fire service.

Its important people call for help rather than entering the water to attempt a rescue as this can often result in emergency services needing to find and rescue more people from the water.

By raising awareness now, we hope to keep people safe and reduce the number of injuries and fatalities in water as summer approaches.

You can find out more about staying safe in and around the water through the Respect the Water website here.