Water Safety Public Appeal
As the weather begins to improve Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (BFRS) is joining other fire services across the UK and asking people to stay safe when spending time in and around water. The call comes following a recent fatal incident in Kempston, Bedfordshire and BFRS wish to make the public aware of the risks that water poses to our safety. The National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) ‘Be Water Aware’ campaign which runs from 24th - 30th April 2023 is warning people of the risk of accidentally drowning when in or around water.
Group Commander Robert Hulatt explained; “The tragic consequences of last Sunday’s incident demonstrate the risk that water can pose to the public. Never enter the water to try and rescue someone in trouble, instead call 999 immediately and ask for the fire service.”
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 and ask for the fire service. At the coast ask for the coastguard. It is 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.
Dawn Whittaker, NFCC’s lead for drowning prevention said: “Most people would be shocked to hear the number of lives lost simply because people were spending time in and around water. These deaths are preventable, so we ask everyone to be water aware.
“NFCC works closely with fire services and partners to encourage people to be safe around water and to highlight the risk of accidental drowning. As the weather improves fire services across the country, along with our colleagues in HM Coastguard and RNLI, can be faced with huge numbers of calls to help people in trouble in 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 may have noticed a number of throwline boards in and around Bedfordshire next to bodies of water in public areas, similar to the one in the picture below. These throwline boards provide a line that can be used to throw to someone if they are in difficulty in the water. The boards are not in place because these waters are safe for swimming but are there because of the risk of drowning in that location.
*WAID 2021 Annual fatal incident report
Photographed: Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue have installed throwline boards around the county in hazardous areas.