Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is supporting the National Fire Chiefs Council's (NFCC) Be Water Aware campaign. The week-long campaign runs from April 29 - May 5 2019 and is a national campaign which aims to highlight the risk of accidental drowning.
Half of the accidental drownings happened in 2017 when people didn't even intend to go in the water. Activities such as running, walking, fishing and cycling near water can put the users at risk of drowning.
In 2017:
- 255 people accidentally drowned in the UK
- Around 50 percent of these people just happened to be near water
- About 85 percent of these fatalities were male
- In addition, 75 UK nationals, mainly tourists, drowned whilst abroad in 2017
Needless and preventable deaths
They are unaware of the risks and are totally unprepared for the scenario of ending up in the water"
NFCC's Drowning Prevention and Water Safety Lead, Chief Fire Officer Dawn Whittaker, said: "Most people would be shocked to hear that those people who drowned just happened to be taking part in everyday activities near water, like going for a run or walk.”
“They are unaware of the risks and are totally unprepared for the scenario of ending up in the water. By highlighting this issue and making sure simple safety messages reach them we hope to reduce the number of these needless and preventable deaths."
Emergency call handlers
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service Community Risk Manager Kevin Andrews added: “This week we’re encouraging people to be aware of the dangers of open water, and be prepared so they know what to do if they get into difficulty in or around water.”
This week we’re encouraging people to be aware of the dangers of open water"
“It can often be difficult to describe your location if you’re along a river with no obviously landmarks nearby, so we’re encouraging people to download the app ‘what3words’. Using what3words, our emergency call handlers can send a crew to the precise location of where help is needed.”
Local safety information
Top tips on keeping safe near open water:
- If users are going for a walk or run near water stick to proper pathways and stay clear of the water edge
- Make sure conditions are safe, avoid walking or running near water in the dark, slippery or in bad weather
- If someone has had alcohol don't enter the water, avoid walking alone and avoid routes near water
- If users are spending time near water - whether at home or abroad make sure they are familiar with local safety information and children are fully supervised
- If someone falls into the water call 999. Advise the casualty to try and float on their back and relax. Try and shout for help nearby and throw them something to either drag them to safety or to aid them to float. Never enter the water to try and help a person or animal.
- Download what3words, so users can find their exact location if they ever need it in an emergency
