Be Water Aware - Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue
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 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 you at risk of drowning.
In 2017:
• 255 people accidentally drowned in the UK
• Around 50 per cent of these people just happened to be near water
• About 85 per cent of these fatalities were male
• In addition 75 UK nationals, mainly tourists, drowned whilst abroad in 2017.
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."
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.
“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.”
Top tips on keeping safe near open water:
- If you 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 you've had alcohol don't enter the water, avoid walking alone and avoid routes near water
- If you are spending time near water - whether at home or abroad make sure you are familiar with local safety information and children are fully supervised
- If someone falls into 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 you can find your exact location if you ever need it in an emergency.