Derbyshire residents urged to be 'water aware'

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS) are raising awareness of water safety and encourage people to Be Water Aware, as the lockdown continues.

The Service is supporting the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) week long drowning prevention campaign which runs from April 20 – 26 this year.

Following the news that lockdown restrictions are to be continued for another three weeks, DFRS are hoping to reach out to people who are continuing to venture out on their daily exercise routines or daily walks in a bid to remind them to be vigilant around open water.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Prevention Station Manager, Kevin Page said: “We know when the lockdown restriction is relaxed, people will be ready to venture back outdoors and enjoy the beautiful weather to the full, so we want to ensure they are aware of the risks so they can stay safe when they are close to open water.

“We are also aware that many people will be taking their daily exercise close to open water, so we want to make sure they are aware of the risks, especially when you consider that runners and walkers have the highest incidence of accidental drowning, accounting for 27 per cent of all accidental drownings nationally in 2018.”

In 2018, 263 people accidentally drowned in the UK, around 50 per cent of that number just happened to be near water with no intentions of entering it at all.

NFCC’s Drowing Prevention and Water Safety Lead, Chief Fire Officer Dawn Whittaker, said: “We want people to enjoy spending time in and around water safely.

“Most people would be shocked to hear 263 people lost their lives last year while spending time near water because they were unaware of the risks and 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."

The fire services has issued the following advice around how to keep safe when near open water. “When out walking, or running close to water, keep away from the water’s edge, especially after rain when the ground may be slippery or unstable.

“Never enter the water to try and help a person or animal - always call 999 and use any water rescue equipment if it is available.

“If you are spending time near water make sure you would know what to do if you happened to fall in. The advice is not to panic, float on your back and then either call for help, or swim to safety

“If you've had alcohol don't enter the water and avoid walking 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 and actively supervised.”

You can find more information on how to be water aware on Derbyshire Fire and Rescue service website: https://www.derbys-fire.gov.uk/coronavirus-advice-and-guidance