Image credit: TWFRS

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service promotes water safety

Today, Thursday 25th July, is World Drowning Prevention Day (WDPD), organised by the World Health Organization (WHO).

As reported by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, mimicking a starfish can help individuals stay afloat in distressing water situations.

To mark this day, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, along with regional organisations, highlighted the dangers of water and demonstrated safety techniques.

Floating like a starfish helps individuals remain calm and buys essential time until rescuers arrive.

Statistics and campaign themes

Statistics from the World Health Organization reveal that nearly a quarter of a million people drown each year, with around 82,000 of them being children aged between 1 and 14 years.

Tommy Richardson, TWFRS Water Safety Lead, stated: “For any parent or family member, the issue of drowning is heart-wrenching, as a large majority of the time the source of the accident or incident is preventable.”

This year’s campaign theme is: “Anyone can drown, no one should” and “Seconds can save life.”

Richardson emphasised: “We wanted to mark the occasion by showing just how powerful remembering to float like a starfish in a crisis can save valuable seconds and essentially save your life.”

Essential water safety tips

Richardson further urged the public: “Please spare a moment this World Drowning Prevention Day to learn the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s (RNLI) essential water safety advice that could be the defining factor that saves your life or the life of a loved one.”

The six safety tips to help stay safe in the water include:

1. Be prepared.
2. Never go alone.
3. Acclimatise slowly to avoid cold water shock.
4. Always be seen.
5. Stay within your depth.
6. Float to Live by making a starfish shape in the water.

Upcoming water safety event

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service advises the public to call 999 and ask for the fire service during emergency incidents on land, or call 112 and ask for the coastguard if in difficulty or seeing someone in trouble along the coast.

In conjunction with World Drowning Prevention Day, TWFRS and its partners have organised a free water safety event on Newcastle Quayside near the Millennium Bridge on Sunday 28th July from 11 am to 3 pm.

Attendees can tour a fire appliance, watch a water rescue demonstration on the River Tyne by the fireboat team, and discuss water safety with experts.