On Tuesday 16th June I attended the Royal Life Saving Society’s (RLSS) Parliamentary event and pledged my support to help the society with its work to prevent drowning. The work they do is of the utmost importance and has helped save countless lives over the years. The event was to launch the Society’s national campaign ‘Drowning Prevention Week’, which this year runs from June 20th to June 28th and its timing is to get the right message across before the start of the long school summer holidays.
The event ran a workshop for CPR and there were water safety advice sessions which gave us all a taste of what the RLSS will be promoting over the next week and beyond. Drowning is a catastrophe which affects people across the whole of the UK, not just coastal towns where the dangers of the sea are legendary, but inland as well where we have large numbers of swimming pools, streams, rivers, brooks, lakes, canals and reservoirs.
On hot summer days children have always sought places to cool off but we know only too well in South Derbyshire how these pleasant cooling off spots during the summer months can be just as dangerous as they are fun after the tragic event in Tutbury last summer.
Everyone needs to understand that despite the RLSS and other organisations hard work, there are still around 400 people a year who die from drowning, and nearly all of these could have been prevented if they had been given and heeded the correct warnings. As well as drowning prevention education the RLSS is the number one UK provider of Lifeguard qualifications and these are seen as some of the most rigorous in the world. If you are using an establishment where a lifeguard is present l implore you to listen to these trained people who have our best interests at heart.
I would like to echo the words of the RLSS Chief Executive in saying the only way to reduce and ultimately eliminate drownings in the UK is by educating the public on the dangers and raising awareness on how to still enjoy our waterways but stay safe as well.
My message to all parents is firstly to ensure your children can swim and to instil in them the healthy respect for all waterways which will keep them safe. We all want them to get the maximum enjoyment from their summer break without putting their lives at risk.
I would implore everyone to help the RLSS and their campaign by visiting their website, Facebook page and Twitter to learn more about how to stay safe this summer.
(This article was originally for the Burton Mail Newspaper).