It’s the summer break and it’s our hope that the weather keeps being kind so that our students can get outdoors. However, while we want all of our students and families to have a wonderful, relaxing time enjoying the sunshine, we also want to ensure everyone stays safe.
Historically, hot school holidays see a significant increase in accidental drownings in inland waters and along the coast. It is a tragic reality that around 402 people lose their lives to drowning across the UK and Ireland every single year—and these tragedies are preventable. Alarmingly, around 44% of these accidental drownings happen between May and August, often when people are trying to cool off in the heat. Furthermore, more than 46% of those who drowned never even intended to enter the water in the first place.
To help keep our young people safe, we ask that parents and carers take a few moments to read through this factual safety guide. Our students will have gone through this information with their Crew leaders but should also take the time to look again.
The Hidden Dangers of Open Water Swimming
When the weather is hot, local rivers, lakes, canals, and quarries look incredibly inviting. However, open water holds major hidden hazards that even strong swimmers cannot anticipate:
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Unexpected Depth: Open water is often far deeper than it appears from the surface, making it easy to drop out of your depth instantly.
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Undercurrents: Strong, invisible undercurrents can quickly drag a swimmer under the water and keep them trapped beneath the surface.
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Hidden Debris: Below the surface lie hidden objects such as sharp rocks, fallen trees, broken glass, and abandoned rubbish (like shopping trolleys). Jumping or diving into these can cause severe head and spinal injuries, or trap your limbs.
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Weeds and Undertows: Swimmers can easily become tangled and trapped in underwater weeds. Swimming near structures like weirs is incredibly dangerous, as the powerful undertow offers little chance of escape.
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Pollution: Natural open waters can contain harmful bacteria and pollution that can cause serious illness if swallowed or if it gets into open cuts.
Understanding the #1 Danger: Cold Water Shock
The single biggest safety issue with jumping into open water in the UK is Cold Water Shock.
Even on a scorching hot day, water temperatures in UK rivers, lakes, and reservoirs remain very cold—often hovering around 12°C or lower. Cold water removes heat from the human body 32 times faster than cold air.
When a person jumps into cold water, the body experiences an automatic, uncontrollable physical reaction known as cold water shock. This includes:
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An immediate gasp for air, followed by rapid breathing (up to 1000% greater than normal), which often leads to accidentally inhaling water directly into the lungs.
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Sudden muscle cramps and a dramatic reduction in physical coordination, making it impossible to swim.
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A sudden spike in blood pressure and heart rate, which can trigger cardiac distress.
Cold water shock peaks within the first 1 minute. If a person panics and thrashes around during this critical minute, they are at an incredibly high risk of drowning rapidly.
How to Survive: Float to Live
If your child or family member gets into difficulty or falls into cold water, they must fight their natural instinct to swim or thrash about. Instead, remember the life-saving advice: Float to Live.
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Fight your instinct: Do not try to swim or struggle.
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Lean back: Tilt your head back and extend your arms and legs like a starfish.
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Gently move: If needed, gently scull your hands or move your feet to help stay afloat.
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Concentrate on breathing: Focus entirely on staying calm and controlling your breathing through the initial 1-minute shock phase.
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Call for help: Only once the breathing is controlled should you attempt to swim to safety, call out for help, or continue floating until rescue arrives.
What to Do If You See Someone Else in Trouble
If you see someone struggling in the water, never jump in to save them. Many secondary drownings occur when well-meaning family members or friends enter the water and become victims themselves.
Instead, follow these steps immediately:
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Shout for help and Call 999: Ask for the Fire and Rescue Service if you are inland, or the Coastguard if you are at the beach.
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Reach: If it is safe to do so, try to reach the person from the bank using a long stick, pole, clothing, or a scarf. Always crouch or lie down flat on the ground so you aren’t accidentally pulled into the water yourself.
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Throw: Look for designated rescue equipment (like a lifebuoy or throw line). If none is available, throw anything that floats (an inflated football, a plastic container, etc.) to help the person stay above water until emergency services arrive.
A Collective Responsibility
Water safety education is vital: statistics show that around two-thirds of UK adults surveyed have never had formal water safety education, and only 30% of parents feel very confident that their child knows how to stay safe around water.
Please talk to your children openly and factually about these risks. If they want to swim, please guide them toward safe, supervised environments like public swimming pools or lifeguarded beaches where they can stay within their depth and enjoy the hot weather safely.
Have a wonderful, restful, and safe summer!
