RLSS Drowning Prevention Week: Hannah & Sophie's Top Tips

23 June 2023

Starting in May, through the summer, the risk to the public through accidental drowning increases significantly. From the 17^th of June to 25^th of June 2023, the RLSS are highlighting water safety as part of RLSS drowning prevention week. The campaign is designed to explore a multitude of opportunities to proactively raise awareness of water safety ahead of a summer outdoors. Drowning prevention week is critical in raising awareness and encouraging the public to enjoy water safely.

This blog is part 1 of a few important water safety tips and advice from our team.

Hannah’s and Sophie’s top tips to stay safe in and around the water

Know how to enter and exit the water safely
Be aware of your surroundings: is the water out of your depth, are there waves?
Be aware of potential dangers: anything from deep water, slippery surfaces, waves, jellyfish
Know which water is safe to swim in and which one is not: beaches that have lifeguards and flags are key ones to look out for
Stay together: never go swimming on your own
Who to call if someone is struggling in the water: 999

Key advice to remember

Stay calm, float on your back and call for help if you are struggling
If someone needs help in the water, stay on the side and call for help. Don’t enter the water
Look and think before you enter the water e.g. aree there any obvious dangers or hazards?
Wear bright colours! Did you know the colour of your swimwear can determine if people can see you underwater? Fun fact > blue and white are hard to see underwater.

All of these tips can help you stay safe and enjoy your time in the water. You can find a lot more guidance on the RLSS website here.

During our swimming lessons our teachers teach very helpful safety skills, for example;

Star floats, which teaches them to float on their back
Climbing in and out of the water safely
Jumping into the pool without goggles on, which is useful if they fall into open water, where the likelihood is that they won’t be wearing these

We want everyone to be able to have fun in the water, but remember to stay safe.

Written by:
Hannah, Operations & Duty Manager
Sophie, Swimming Sales & Operations Manager