LiveWire to take part in Drowning Prevention Week 2019
Schoolchildren are to receive water safety advice at special Drowning Prevention Week swim sessions from LiveWire’s Aquatics Team and representatives from Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service.
Drowning Prevention Week 2019 – created by the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS UK) – runs from Friday 14th to Monday 24th June 2019. It is an annual national campaign that aims to ensure everyone knows how to have fun and stay safe near water.
Drowning in the UK is one of the leading causes of accidental death, especially for children. Each year more than 700 people drown in the UK and Ireland. Drowning Prevention Week aims to help cut down on the number of drownings that still tragically occur each year.
LiveWire will be supporting this year’s campaign by helping to educate schoolchildren about the risks associated with water at School Swimming Sessions during the week.
Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service, with the support of the LiveWire Aquatics Team, will teach Year 3 and 4 pupils the dangers of water, how to help somebody who is in difficulty in the water and how to look after themselves if they become distressed in the water by discussing and delivering different scenarios both in and out of the pool.
It is a fun and engaging way to pass on an important water safety message to children, which may help them in the future.
Emma Hutchinson, LiveWire Managing Director, said: “We are very pleased to once again support and get involved with Drowning Prevention Week, and to work with Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service to help local schoolchildren who use our pools learn more about water safety. It is so important that people of all ages understand how to stay safe near water, especially during the high-risk summer months.”
Warrington Crew Manager Jonathan Hill, from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Teaching children how to stay safe around water is incredibly important and can ultimately result in preventing and saving a young life.
“It will be a fun, enjoyable and informative packed week of providing children with an understanding of warning signs, what to shout if someone is in danger and how to save others and themselves from water.
“We hope the children will enjoy the sessions and leave feeling they can enjoy spending time in and around water in a safe way.”
Robert Gofton, RLSS UK’s Chief Executive, said: ““Every year, we see a tragic amount of preventable deaths as people flock to open water sites that are not suitable for swimming. It may seem an inviting way to cool off, but there are very real and very deadly dangers at these sites, such as extremely cold water, uneven depths and hidden debris that people can get injured on or caught in.
“We believe that drowning accidents can be prevented if people follow simple water safety advice and we are delighted that LiveWire is getting involved with the campaign and helping people to stay safe and enjoy the water.”
Always follow the RLSS’s Water Safety Code when you are around water:
- Stop and Think: Look for the dangers. Always read signs.
- Stay Together: Never swim alone. Always go with friends and family.
- In an Emergency: Shout for help and call 999 or 112.
- If you fall in: Float or swim on your back. Throw something that floats to anyone who has fallen in.
For more information on LiveWire’s Aquatics Programme please visit https://livewirewarrington.co.uk/leisure/swimming. For more information on Drowning Prevention Week visit https://www.rlss.org.uk/drowning-prevention-week
