Young people aged 10-29 account for over a quarter of accidental drowning deaths in the UK, new data on World Drowning Prevention Day reveals
Today, on World Drowning Prevention Day (25 July), the National Water Safety Forum (NWSF) has revealed that young people are the most high-risk group for accidental drowning in the UK.
According to the Water Incident Database (WAID), more than a quarter (26 per cent) of all accidental drowning deaths that occurred in the last five years (2020 to 2024 inclusive) were young people aged 10 to 29.
Warm weather is a known factor in increasing these numbers – when the weather turns hot, many teenagers and young adults head to the water to socialise and cool off, often unaware of the dangers open water presents. Independent analysis from both the Royal Life Saving Society UK and Bournemouth University demonstrates that three times as many accidental drowning fatalities occur on days when air temperatures reach 25°C or more, when compared to the seasonal average.
Because of this worrying correlation, water safety experts are urging anyone planning to spend time on or near the water this summer to prepare themselves for an emergency by practicing an essential self-rescue skill: floating.
Floating is a science-backed, lifesaving technique that works in both salt and fresh water. Everyone can float, although not everybody floats in the same way.
To mark World Drowning Prevention Day, the NWSF has launched the “Find Your Float” campaign, encouraging people to find out what floating looks and feels like for them by practising in a safe and supervised environment. “Find Your Float” events are being held across the county, with people are also encouraged to practise at their local swimming pool or lifeguarded beach on 25 July.
How to find your float:
- • Tilt your head back with your ears submerged
- • Relax and try to breathe normally
- • Move your hands and legs to help you stay afloat
- • It’s OK if your legs sink, we all float differently
- • Once your breathing is under control, call for help or swim to safety.
Professor Mike Tipton, Chair of the NWSF and leading global voice in water safety, said: “The young age of a large percentage of those that drown explains why there are over 6,100 years of life lost in the UK each year to drowning. The hugely important Find your Float campaign is designed to teach people - including the young - proven life-saving behaviour and encourages them to practice it, preparing them should they ever need to use it. I encourage everyone to get involved; a couple of hours devoted to ‘finding your float’ could save decades of life.”
For more information about the Find Your Float campaign and World Drowning Prevention Day, visit: www.respectthewater.com