I absolutely love swimming and I feel extremely lucky that not only did I have the opportunity to learn to swim as a child (my very first lessons were at The National Sports Centre in Crystal Palace), but that today I have access to a huge number of amazing pools and the confidence to swim in rivers, lakes and the sea.

Part of being a confident swimmer is also having a healthy respect for the water and the dangers it presents, both in controlled environments and the wilder places I choose to swim. Drowning is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide (WHO Global Report on Drowning) and over 400 UK and Irish citizens die as a result of drowning each year (Royal Lifesaving Society UK), even though drowning is preventable and even one death by drowning is too many.

19 to 26 June 2021 is Drowning Prevention Week and as someone who loves the water and encourages as many people as possible to dip their toe in I also think I have a responsibility to share the dangers, and how you can swim more safely.

Drowning Prevention

According to the Active Lives Children and Young People Survey 2018/19 around one quarter of children leave school unable to swim 25m, despite this being a statutory element of the national curriculum since 1994. Looking further into the statistics affluence appears to play a role in whether or not children learn to swim, around 85% of children from the most affluent backgrounds can swim 25m unaided, while just 44% of children from the least affluent families can do the same. Race also appears to have an influence and 80% of black children and 95% of black adults do not swim.

These stats are alarming because we know that swimming saves lives. Having the skills and knowledge to make the right decisions about water safety can and does prevent people from dying. It’s so simple, yet throughout 2020 and 2021 millions of young people have missed out on the opportunity to swim, leaving a huge gap in swimming and water safety education. Similarly, in communities where participation in swimming and water safety activities is already low, this gap in knowledge and skills has become even bigger. That means that more people could die unnecessarily due to accidental drowning.

Drowning Prevention Week is all about improving access to water safety advice, increasing participation amongst under -represented communities and helping to sell the ranks of people who are dedicated to keeping our waterways fun, friendly and secure places for everyone to enjoy. The Royal Lifesaving Society UK makes this goal easier by providing free, accessible education and training so we can all swim more safely.

Top Tips From A Lifeguard

• Swim at a lifeguarded venue and swim between the red and yellow flags - this is where it’s safest.

• Keep an eye out for any signs around the water, they’re there to share important information and keep you safe.

• Swim sober, alcohol and drugs impair judgement, swimming ability and body temperature.

• Don’t swim alone, consider taking someone with you when you go into water, especially if you’ve not swum alone before. If something goes wrong they will be able to get help.

• Don’t ever take inflatables into the sea - you risk being carried out to sea and finding yourself in trouble.

• Wear bright coloured swimming gear (and never blue) so that you can be seen in the water. Personally I love my bright red swimming Outdoor Swimming Society hat.

• FLOAT TO LIVE - If you find yourself panicking in the water float. Move so that you’re on your back with your arms and legs spread out like a starfish and focus on your breathing. Floating will help you stay calm and if you are still in trouble means that you can call for help.

Safe Swimming Resources

The Royal Lifesaving Society UK - a national charity and the leader in lifesaving and lifeguarding training across the UK and Ireland, their website has tonnes of free resources on water safety and swimming education suitable for all ages.

The Outdoor Swimming Society - a community of independent spirits that share the joy and adventure of swimming outdoors. OSS provides a lot of useful information about swimming outdoors and in the wild.

RNLI Respect The Water - The Royal National Lifeboat Institute’s drowning prevention campaign provides lots of helpful lifesaving information for anyone visiting the coast.

My blog - I have a whole host of posts about outdoor and cold water swimming!

For Kids:

RNLI Swim Safe - free, fun outdoor swimming session with fully qualified lifeguards and swimming instructors for children aged 7 to 14.

RLSS Rookie Lifeguard - aimed at children, this course helps build confidence and vital lifesaving skills in a fun and interactive way. RLSS also have lots of other courses for all age groups and levels of experience.