Water safety warning after nine people die during heatwave

3 hours ago 3

Supplied A split picture of Declan Sawyer and Reco PuttockSupplied

Declan Sawyer (left) and Reco Puttock died in separate incidents after getting into difficulty in water

People have been warned of the dangers of swimming in open water after multiple deaths during the recent heatwave.

The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) issued a warning following the fatal incidents, most of which involved children, saying "warmer weather unfortunately sees an increase in accidental drownings".

It warned water temperatures remain very cold despite increased air temperatures, and that cold water shock could make swimming difficult and harder to get out of the water.

In all during the hotter weather, at least seven young people have died in the water, as well as a man in his 60s and a woman in her 70s.

  • Also on Sunday, a 72-year-old woman was pulled from the water at West Angle Bay beach, Pembrokeshire in Wales
  • On Bank Holiday Monday, a 13-year-old boy named locally as Reco Puttock was pronounced dead after being pulled from Leadbeater Dam in Halifax, West Yorkshire; the body of a teenage girl was recovered from Kingsbury Water Park, Warwickshire; and the body of a teenage boy was recovered from a lake in Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham, South Yorkshire
  • On Wednesday, Cheshire police found a body in Pickmere Lake during the search for a 17-year-old boy who went missing after swimming at the beauty spot

Map showing the locations where people have drowned in the water during the heatwave.

A leading network for drowning prevention has recommended swimming in supervised locations with lifeguards where possible and entering the water slowly to reduce the risk of cold-water shock.

Cold-water shock is an involuntary pshysiological response when the body is suddenly immersed in water.

It causes blood vessels in the skin to close, which increases blood flow resistance, and as a result forces the heart to work harder and causes blood pressure to increase.

According to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), anything below 15C is defined as cold water, and average UK and Ireland sea temperatures are 12C, and some rivers can be colder even in summer.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Wednesday morning, Jim Bridge from Water Safety Partnership urged those who find themselves in difficulty in the water to "float to live".

Watch: What to do if you're in distress in the water

"So lie on your back with you head back, with your ears submerged, use your arms and legs to stabilise yourself and just let your breathing come back to a normal breathing pattern.

"And when you're feeling confident that you've gotten used to the water and your breathing's normal, you can shout for help or swim to save yourself."

On Tuesday, the UK recorded the hottest day in May with temperatures reaching 35.1C at Kew Gardens in London.

For two days in a row, parts of south-east England went above 34C.

Nearly all weather stations across England and Wales also broke their local May temperature records on Monday and Tuesday.

The Met Office says a heatwave happens when an area reaches a certain high temperature for at least three days in a row.

Wednesday brings a reprieve from the record-breaking temperatures and has likely peaked, as cooler air moves over northern and eastern areas of England.

The Met Office has also issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for much of Wales, south-west England and parts of the Midlands from 15:00 to 23:59 on Wednesday.

It could bring torrential downpours of rain, frequent lightning, large hail and strong, gusty winds.

But over the next few days it will still remain hot in many areas and health officials confirmed heat health alerts would be extended for 24 hours.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said amber alerts for the South West, South East, London, East and West Midlands, and East of England will remain until 17:00 on Thursday, with yellow heat-health alerts for the North West and North East.


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